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O      '  PEP'^D  i    I? 


The  Extraordinary  Adventures  of  Arsene  Lupin 

ARSENE  LUPIN 

VERSUS  HERLOCK  SHOLMES 


BY 

MAURICE  LEBLANC 


Translated    from    the    French 
By  GEORGE   MOREHEAD 


M.    A.    DONOHUE    &    CO. 
CHICAGO 


Copyright,  1910, 
By  M.  A.  DONOHUE  A 


2623 


CONTENTS 

CHAPTER  PAGE 

I.     Lottery  Ticket  Xo.  514 5 

II.     The  Blue  Diamond 50 

III.  Herlock  Sholmes  Opens  Hostilities 92 

IV.  Light  in  the  Darkness 133 

V.     An   Abduction 170 

VI.     Second  Arrest  of  Arsene  Lupin 212 

VII.     The  Jewish  Lamp 253 

VIII.     The    Shipwreck 300 


STi^O^  ^-i  ** 

IVi  *  /<J3-  r  Xrf 


ARSENE  LUPIN 

Versus  Herlock   Sholmes 


CHAPTEK  I. 

LOTTERY  TICKET  NO.  514. 

N"  the  eighth  day  of  last  December, 
Mon.  Gerbois,  professor  of  mathe 
matics  at  the  College  of  Versailles, 
while  rummaging  in  an  old  curiosity-shop,  un 
earthed  a  small  mahogany  writing-desk  which 
pleased  him  very  much  on  account  of  the  mul 
tiplicity  of  its  drawers. 

4  *  Just  the  thing  for  Suzanne's  birthday 
present,"  thought  he.  And  as  he  always  tried 
to  furnish  some  simple  pleasures  for  his 
daughter,  consistent  with  his  modest  income, 
he  enquired  the  price,  and,  after  some  keen 
bargaining,  purchased  it  for  sixty-five  francs. 
As  he  was  giving  his  address  to  the  shop 
keeper,  a  young  man,  dressed  with  elegance 
and  taste,  who  had  been  exploring  the  stock 

5 


ARSENE     LUPIN 


of  antiques,  caught  Fight  of  the  writing-desk, 
and  immediately  enquired  its  price. 
"It  is  sold,"  replied  the  shopkeeper. 
"Ah!  to  this  gentleman,  I  presume!" 
Monsieur  Gerhois  bowed,  and  left  the  store, 
quite  proud  to  be  the  possessor  of  an  article 
which  had  attracted  the  attention  of  a  gentle 
man  of  quality.    But  he  had  not  taken  a  dozen 
steps  in  the  street,  when  he  was  overtaken  by 
the  young  man  who,  hat  in  hand  and  in  a  tone 
of  perfect  courtesy,  thus  addressed  him : 

"I  beg  your  pardon,  monsieur ;  I  am  going 
to  ask  you  a  question  that  you  may  deem  im 
pertinent.  It  is  this :  Did  you  have  any  spe 
cial  object  in  view  when  you  bought  that  writ 
ing-desk?" 

"No,  I  came  across  it  by  chance  and  it 
struck  my  fancy. ' ' 

"But  you  do  not  care  for  it  particularly?" 
"Oh!  I  shall  keep  it— that  is  all." 
"Because  it  is  an  antique,  perhaps?" 
"No;  because  it  is  convenient,"  declared 
Mon.  Gerbois. 

"In  that  case,  you  would  consent  to  ex 
change  it  for  another  desk  that  would  be  quite 
as  convenient  and  in  better  condition?" 

"Oh!  this  one  is  in  good  condition,  and  I 
see  no  object  in  making  an  exchange, " 


VERSUS    HERLOCK     SHOLMES 


But- 


Mon.  Gerbois  is  a  man  of  irritable  disposi 
tion  and  hasty  temper.  So  he  replied,  testily : 

"I  beg  of  you,  monsieur,  do  not  insist." 

But  the  young  man  firmly  held  his  ground. 

"I  don't  know  how  much  you  paid  for  it, 
monsieur,  but  I  offer  you  double. " 

"No." 

i  '  Three  times  the  amount. ' ' 

' '  Oh !  that  will  do, ' '  exclaimed  the  profes 
sor,  impatiently;  "I  don't  wish  to  sell  it." 

The  young  man  stared  at  him  for  a  moment 
in  a  manner  that  Mon.  Gerbois  would  not 
readily  forget,  then  turned  and  walked  rap 
idly  away. 

An  hour  later,  the  desk  was  delivered  at  the 
professor's  house  on  the  Viroflay  road.  He 
called  his  daughter,  and  said  : 

'  *  Here  is  something  for  you,  Suzanne,  pro 
vided  you  like  it." 

Suzanne  was  a  pretty  girl,  with  a  gay  and 
affectionate  nature.  She  threw  her  arms 
around  her  father's  neck  and  kissed  him  rap 
turously.  To  her,  the  desk  had  all  the  sem 
blance  of  a  royal  gift.  That  evening,  assisted 
by  Hortense,  the  servant,  she  placed  the  desk 
in  her  room ;  then  she  dusted  it,  cleaned  the 
drawers  and  pigeon-holes,  and  carefully  ar- 


ARSENE     LUPIN 


ranged  within  it  her  papers,  writing  ma 
terial,  correspondence,  a  collection  of  post 
cards,  and  some  souvenirs  of  her  cousin 
Philippe  that  she  kept  in  secret. 

Next  morning,  at  half  past  seven,  Mon. 
Gerbois  went  to  the  college.  At  ten  o'clock, 
in  pursuance  of  her  usual  custom,  Suzanne 
went  to  meet  him,  and  it  was  a  great  pleasure 
for  him  to  see  her  slender  figure  and  childish 
smile  waiting  for  him  at  the  college  gate. 
They  returned  home  together. 

"And  your  writing  desk — how  is  it  this 
morning?" 

'  l  Marvellous !  Hortense  and  I  have  polished 
the  brass  mountings  until  they  look  like 
gold." 

"So  you  are  pleased  with  it?" 

"Pleased  with  it!  Why,  I  don't  see  how  I 
managed  to  get  on  without  it  for  such  a  long 
time. ' ' 

As  they  were  walking  up  the  pathway  to 
the  house,  Mon.  Gerbois  said : 

"Shall  we  go  and  take  a  look  at  it  before 
breakfast?" 

"Oh!  yes,  that's  a  splendid  idea!" 

She  ascended  the  stairs  ahead  of  her 
father,  but,  on  arriving  at  the  door  of  her 


VERSUS     HERLOCK     SHOLMES 


room,  she  uttered  a  cry  of  surprise  and  dis 
may. 

"What's  the  matter?7'  stammered  Mon. 
Gerbois. 

"The  writing-desk  is  gone!" 

***** 

When  the  police  were  called  in,  they  were 
astonished  at  the  admirable  simplicity  of  the 
means  employed  by  the  thief.  During 
Suzanne's  absence,  the  servant  had  gone  to 
market,  and  while  the  house  was  thus  left  un 
guarded,  a  drayman,  wearing  a  badge  —  some 
of  the  neighbors  saw  it  —  stopped  his  cart  in 
front  of  the  house  and  rang  twice.  Not  know 
ing  that  Hortense  was  absent,  the  neighbors 
were  not  suspicious;  consequently,  the  man 
carried  on  his  work  in  peace  and  tranquility. 

Apart  from  the  desk,  not  a  thing  in  the 
house  had  been  disturbed.  Even  Suzanne's 
purse,  which  she  had  left  upon  the  writing- 
desk,  was  found  upon  an  adjacent  table  with 
its  contents  untouched.  It  was  obvious  that 
the  thief  had  come  with  a  set  purpose,  which 
rendered  the  crime  even  more  mysterious; 
because,  why  did  he  assume  so  great  a  risk 
for  such  a  trifling  object? 

The  only  clue  the  professor  could  furnish 


10  ARSENE     LUPIN 

was  the  strange  incident  of  the  preceding 
evening.  He  declared : 

4  '  The  young  man  was  greatly  provoked  at 
my  refusal,  and  I  had  an  idea  that  he  threat 
ened  me  as  he  went  away." 

But  the  clue  was  a  vague  one.  The  shop 
keeper  could  not  throw  any  light  on  the 
affair.  He  did  not  know  either  of  the  gentle 
men.  As  to  the  desk  itself,  he  had  purchased 
it  for  forty  francs  at  an  executor's  sale  at 
Chevreuse,  and  believed  he  had  resold  it  at 
its  fair  value.  The  police  investigation  dis 
closed  nothing  more. 

But  Mon.  Gerbois  entertained  the  idea  that 
he  had  suffered  an  enormous  loss.  There 
must  have  been  a  fortune  concealed  in  a 
secret  drawer,  and  that  was  the  reason  the 
young  man  had  resorted  to  crime. 

* i  My  poor  father,  what  would  we  have  done 
with  that  fortune?"  asked  Suzanne. 

* '  My  child !  with  such  a  fortune,  you  could 
make  a  most  advantageous  marriage." 

Suzanne  sighed  bitterly.  Her  aspirations 
soared  no  higher  than  her  cousin  Philippe, 
who  was  indeed  a  most  deplorable  object. 
And  life,  in  the  little  house  at  Versailles,  was 
not  so  happy  and  contented  as  of  yore. 

Two  months  passed  away.     Then  came  a 


VERSUS     HERLOCK     SHOLMES 


11 


succession  of  startling  events,  a  strange 
blending  of  good  luck  and  dire  misfortune ! 

On  the  first  day  of  February,  at  half -past 
five,  Mon.  Gerbois  entered  the  house,  carry 
ing  an  evening  paper,  took  a  seat,  put  on  his 
spectacles,  and  commenced  to  read.  As  poli 
tics  did  not  interest  him,  he  turned  to  the  in 
side  of  the  paper.  Immediately  his  attention 
was  attracted  by  an  article  entitled : 

"Third  Drawing  of  the  Press  Association 
Lottery. 

"No.  514,  series  23,  draws  a  million. " 

The  newspaper  slipped  from  his  fingers. 
The  walls  swam  before  his  eyes,  and  his  heart 
ceased  to  beat.  He  held  No.  514,  series  23. 
He  had  purchased  it  from  a  friend,  to  oblige 
him,  without  any  thought  of  success,  and  be 
hold,  it  was  the  lucky  number ! 

Quickly,  he  took  out  his  memorandum-book. 
Yes,  he  was  quite  right.  The  No.  514,  series 
23,  was  written  there,  on  the  inside  of  the 
cover.  But  the  ticket! 

He  rushed  to  his  desk  to  find  the  envelope- 
box  in  which  he  had  placed  the  precious 
ticket ;  but  the  box  was  not  there,  and  it  sud 
denly  occurred  to  him  that  it  had  not  been 
there  for  several  weeks.  He  heard  footsteps 
on  the  gravel  walk  leading  from  the  street. 


12  ARSENE     LUPIN 

He  called : 

' i  Suzanne !  Suzanne ! ' ' 

She  was  returning  from  a  walk.  She  en 
tered  hastily.  He  stammered,  in  a  choking 
voice : 

"Suzanne  ...  the  box  .  .  .  the 
box  of  envelopes ?" 

"What  box?" 

"The  one  I  bought  at  the  Louvre  .  .  . 
one  Saturday  .  .  .  it  was  at  the  end  of 
that  table." 

"Don't  you  remember,  father,  we  put  all 
those  things  away  together." 

"When?" 

"The  evening  .  .  .  you  know  .  .  . 
the  same  evening  .  .  ." 

"But  where?  .  .  .  Tell  me,  quick! 
.  .  .  Where?" 

' '  Where  ?    Why,  in  the  writing-desk. ' ' 

"In  the  writing-desk  that  was  stolen?" 

"Yes." 

"Oh,  mon  Dieu!  ...  In  the  stolen 
desk!" 

He  uttered  the  last  sentence  in  a  low  voice, 
in  a  sort  of  stupor.  Then  he  seized  her  hand, 
and  in  a  still  lower  voice,  he  said : 

"It  contained  a  million,  my  child." 


VERSUS     HERLOCK     SHOLMES  13 

''Ah!  father,  why  didn't  you  tell  me!"  she 
murmured,  naively. 

"A  million!"  he  repeated.  "It  contained 
the  ticket  that  drew  the  grand  prize  in  the 
Press  Lottery." 

The  colossal  proportions  of  the  disaster 
overwhelmed  them,  and  for  a  long  time  they 
maintained  a  silence  that  they  feared  to 
break.  At  last,  Suzanne  said: 

"But,  father,  they  will  pay  you  just  the 
same. ' ' 

4 '  How  ?    On  what  proof  ? ' ' 

"Must  you  have  proof?" 

"Of  course." 

"And  you  haven't  any?" 

'  *  It  was  in  the  box. ' ' 

"In  the  box  that  has  disappeared." 

"Yes;  and  now  the  thief  will  get  the 
money. ' ' 

"Oh!  that  would  be  terrible,  father.  You 
must  prevent  it. ' ' 

For  a  moment  he  was  silent;  then,  in  an 
outburst  of  energy,  he  leaped  up,  stamped  on 
the  floor,  and  exclaimed : 

"No,  no,  he  shall  not  have  that  million; 
he  shall  not  have  it !  "Why  should  he  have  it? 
Ah!  clever  as  he  is,  he  can  do  nothing.  If  he 
goes  to  claim  the  money,  they  will  arrest  him. 


14  ARSENE     LUPIN 

Ah !  now,  we  will  see,  my  fine  fellow ! ' ' 

' ' What  will  you  do,  father!" 

"Defend  our  just  rights,  whatever  hap 
pens!  And  we  will  succeed.  The  million 
francs  belong  to  me,  and  I  intend  to  have 
them." 

A  few  minutes  later,  he  sent  this  telegram : 
"Governor  Credit  Foncier 

"rue  Capucines,  Paris. 

"Am  holder  of  No.  514,  series  23.  Oppose 
by  all  legal  means  any  other  claimant. 

"GERBOIS." 

Almost  at  the  same  moment,  the  Credit 
Foncier  received  the  following  telegram : 

"No.  514,  series  23,  is  in  my  possession. 

"ARSENE  LUPIN." 

#  *  *  *  * 

Every  time  I  undertake  to  relate  one  of  the 
many  extraordinary  adventures  that  mark 
the  life  of  Arsene  Lupin,  I  experience  a  feel 
ing  of  embarrassment,  as  it  seems  to  me  that 
the  most  commonplace  of  those  adventures  is 
already  well  known  to  my  readers.  In  fact, 
there  is  not  a  movement  of  our  "national 
thief,"  as  he  has  been  so  aptly  described,  that 
has  not  been  given  the  widest  publicity,  not 
an  exploit  that  has  not  been  studied  in  all  its 
phases,  not  an  action  that  has  not  been  dis- 


VERSUS     HEKLOCK     SHOLMES  15 

cussed  with  that  particularity  usually  re 
served  for  the  recital  of  heroic  deeds. 

For  instance,  who  does  not  know  the 
strange  history  of  ' l  The  Blonde  Lady, ' '  with 
those  curious  episodes  which  were  proclaimed 
by  the  newspapers  with  heavy  black  head 
lines,  as  follows:  " Lottery  Ticket  No.  514 !" 
.  .  .  "The  Crime  on  the  Avenue  Henri- 
Martin  !"  .  .  .  "The  Blue  Diamond !" 
.  .  .  The  interest  created  by  the  interven 
tion  of  the  celebrated  English  detective,  Her- 
lock  Sholmes!  The  excitement  aroused  by 
the  various  vicissitudes  which  marked  the 
struggle  between  those  famous  artists !  And 
what  a  commotion  on  the  boulevards,  the  day 
on  which  the  newsboys  announced:  "Arrest 
of  Arsene  Lupin ! ' ' 

My  excuse  for  repeating  these  stories  at 
this  time  is  the  fact  that  I  produce  the  key 
to  the  enigma.  Those  adventures  have  always 
been  enveloped  in  a  certain  degree  of  ob 
scurity,  which  I  now  remove.  I  reproduce 
old  newspaper  articles,  I  relate  old-time  in 
terviews,  I  present  ancient  letters ;  but  I  have 
arranged  and  classified  all  that  material  and 
reduced  it  to  the  exact  truth.  My  collaborators 
in  this  work  have  been  Arsene  Lupin  himself, 


16  ARSENE     LUPIN 

and  also  the  ineffable  Wilson,  the  friend  and 
confidant  of  Herlock  Sholmes. 

Every  one  will  recall  the  tremendous  burst 
of  laughter  which  greeted  the  publication  of 
those  two  telegrams.  The  name  "Arsene 
Lupin "  was  in  itself  a  stimulus  to  curiosity, 
a  promise  of  amusement  for  the  gallery. 
And,  in  this  case,  the  gallery  means  the  en 
tire  world. 

An  investigation  was  immediately  com 
menced  by  the  Credit  Foncier,  which  estab 
lished  these  facts :  That  ticket  No.  514,  series 
23,  had  been  sold  by  the  Versailles  branch 
office  of  the  Lottery  to  an  artillery  officer 
named  Bessy,  who  was  afterward  killed  by  a 
fall  from  his  horse.  Some  time  before  his 
death,  he  informed  some  of  his  comrades  that 
he  had  transferred  his  ticket  to  a  friend. 

"And  I  am  that  friend,"  affirmed  Mon. 
Gerbois. 

"Prove  it,"  replied  the  governor  of  the 
Credit  Foncier. 

'  '  Of  course  I  can  prove  it.  Twenty  people 
can  tell  you  that  I  was  an  intimate  friend  of 
Monsieur  Bessy,  and  that  we  frequently  met 
at  the  Cafe  de  la  Place-d'Armes.  It  was 
there,  one  day,  I  purchased  the  ticket  from 


VERSUS     HERLOCK     SHOLMES  17 

him  for  twenty  francs — simply  as  an  accom 
modation  to  him. 

"Have  you  any  witnesses  to  that  transac 
tion?" 

"No." 

'  i  Well,  how  do  you  expect  to  prove  it  f ' ' 

' '  By  a  letter  he  wrote  to  me. ' ' 

"What  letter!" 

"A  letter  that  was  pinned  to  the  ticket." 

"Produce  it." 

"It  was  stolen  at  the  same  time  as  the 
ticket." 

"Well,  you  must  find  it." 

It  was  soon  learned  that  Arsejie  Lupin  had 
the  letter.  A  short  paragraph  appeared  in 
the  Echo  de  France — which  has  the  honor  to 
be  his  official  organ,  and  of  which,  it  is  said, 
he  is  one  of  the  principal  shareholders — the 
paragraph  announced  that  Arsene  Lupin  had 
placed  in  the  hands  of  Monsieur  Detinan,  his 
advocate  and  legal  adviser,  the  letter  that 
Monsieur  Bessy  had  written  to  him — to  him 
personally. 

This  announcement  provoked  an  outburst 
of  laughter.  Arsene  Lupin  had  engaged  a 
lawyer!  Arsene  Lupin,  conforming  to  the 
rules  and  customs  of  modern  society,  had  ap 
pointed  a  legal  representative  in  the  person 


18  ARSJNE    LUPIN 

of  a  well-known  member  of  the  Parisian  bar ! 

Mon.  Detinan  had  never  enjoyed  the  pleas 
ure  of  meeting  Arsene  Lupin — a  fact  he 
deeply  regretted — but  he  had  actually  been 
retained  by  that  mysterious  gentleman  and 
felt  greatly  honored  by  the  choice.  He  was 
prepared  to  defend  the  interests  of  his  client 
to  the  best  of  his  ability.  He  was  pleased, 
even  proud,  to  exhibit  the  letter  of  Mon. 
Bessy,  but,  although  it  proved  the  transfer 
of  the  ticket,  it  did  not  mention  the  name  of 
the  purchaser.  It  was  simply  addressed  to 
"My  Dear  Friend. " 

'  *  My  Dear  Friend !  that  is  I, ' '  added  Arsene 
Lupin,  in  a  note  attached  to  Mon.  Bessy's  let 
ter.  "And  the  best  proof  of  that  fact  is  that 
I  hold  the  letter. » 

The  swarm  of  reporters  immediately  rushed 
to  see  Mon.  Gerbois,  who  could  only  repeat: 

"My  Dear  Friend!  that  is  I.  .  .  . 
Arsene  Lupin  stole  the  letter  with  the  lottery 
ticket. " 

"Let  him  prove  it!"  retorted  Lupin  to  the 
reporters. 

' '  He  must  have  done  it,  because  he  stole  the 
writing-desk!"  exclaimed  Mon.  Gerbois  be 
fore  the  same  reporters. 

"Let  him  prove  it !"  replied  Lupin. 


VERSUS     HEKLOCK     SHOLMES 


19 


Such  was  the  entertaining  comedy  enacted 
by  the  two  claimants  of  ticket  No.  514;  and 
the  calm  demeanor  of  Arsene  Lupin  con 
trasted  strangely  with  the  nervous  perturba 
tion  of  poor  Mon.  Gerbois.  The  newspapers 
were  filled  with  the  lamentations  of  that  un 
happy  man.  He  announced  his  misfortune 
with  pathetic  candor. 

"Understand,  gentlemen,  it  was  Suzanne's 
dowry  that  the  rascal  stole!  Personally,  I 
don't  care  a  straw  for  it,  ...  but  for 
Suzanne!  Just  think  of  it,  a  whole  million! 
Ten  times  one  hundred  thousand  francs !  Ah ! 
I  knew  very  well  that  the  desk  contained  a 
treasure!" 

It  was  in  vain  to  tell  him  that  his  ad 
versary,  when  stealing  the  desk,  was  unaware 
that  the  lottery  ticket  was  in  it,  and  that,  in 
any  event,  he  could  not  foresee  that  the  ticket 
would  draw  the  grand  prize.  He  would  reply : 

"Nonsense!  of  course,  he  knew  it  .  .  , 
else  why  would  he  take  the  trouble  to  steal  a 
poor,  miserable  desk?" 

"For  some  unknown  reason;  but  certainly 
not  for  a  small  scrap  of  paper  which  was 
then  worth  only  twenty  francs." 

"A  million  francs!  He  knew  it;  .  .  . 
he  knows  everything !  Ah !  you  do  not  kno\* 


20  ARSENE     LUPIN 

him — the  scoundrel !  .  .  .  He  hasn't  robbed 
you  of  a  million  francs ! ' ' 

The  controversy  would  have  lasted  for  a 
much  longer  time,  but,  on  the  twelfth  day, 
Mon.  Gerbois  received  from  Arsene  Lupin  a 
letter,  marked  "confidential,"  which  read  as 
follows : 

"Monsieur,  the  gallery  is  being  amused  at 
our  expense.  Do  you  not  think  it  is  time  for 
us  to  be  serious!  The  situation  is  this:  I 
possess  a  ticket  to  which  I  have  no  legal  right, 
and  you  have  the  legal  right  to  a  ticket  you 
do  not  possess.  Neither  of  us  can  do  any 
thing.  You  will  not  relinquish  your  rights  to 
me ;  I  will  not  deliver  the  ticket  to  you.  Now, 
what  is  to  be  done  ? 

"I  see  only  one  way  out  of  the  difficulty: 
Let  us  divide  the  spoils.  A  half-million  for 
you ;  a  half -million  for  me.  Is  not  that  a  fair 
division?  In  my  opinion,  it  is  an  equitable 
solution,  and  an  immediate  one.  I  will  give 
you  three  days'  time  to  consider  the  proposi 
tion.  On  Thursday  morning  I  shall  expect  to 
read  in  the  personal  column  of  the  Echo  de 
France  a  discreet  message  addressed  to  M. 
Ars.  Lup,  expressing  in  veiled  terms  your 
consent  to  my  offer.  By  so  doing  you  will  re 
cover  immediate  possession  of  the  ticket; 


VERSUS     HERLOCK     SHOLMES  21 


then  you  can  collect  the  money  and  send  me 
half  a  million  in  a  manner  that  I  will  describe 
to  you  later. 

"In  case  of  your  refusal,  I  shall  resort  to 
other  measures  to  accomplish  the  same  result. 
But,  apart  from  the  very  serious  annoyances 
that  such  obstinacy  on  your  part  will  cause 
you,  it  will  cost  you  twenty-five  thousand 
francs  for  supplementary  expenses. 

"Believe  me,  monsieur,  I  remain  your  de 
voted  servant,  ARSENE  LUPIN.  " 

In  a  fit  of  exasperation  Mon.  Gerbois  com 
mitted  the  grave  mistake  of  showing  that  let 
ter  and  allowing  a  copy  of  it  to  be  taken.  His 
indignation  overcame  his  discretion. 

"Nothing!  He  shall  have  nothing!''  he 
exclaimed,  before  a  crowd  of  reporters.  ' '  To 
divide  my  property  with  him?  Never!  Let 
him  tear  up  the  ticket  if  he  wishes ! ' ' 

"Yet  five  hundred  thousand  francs  is  bet 
ter  than  nothing." 

"That  is  not  the  question.  It  is  a  question 
of  my  just  right,  and  that  right  I  will  estab 
lish  before  the  courts. ' ' 

"What!  attack  Arsene  Lupin!  That  would 
be  amusing." 

"No;  but  the  Credit  Foncier.  They  must 
pay  me  the  million  francs." 


22  AKSENE    LUPIN" 

i  i  Without  producing  the  ticket,  or,  at  least, 
without  proving  that  you  bought  it?" 

4 '  That  proof  exists,  since  Arsene  Lupin  ad 
mits  that  he  stole  the  writing-desk." 

"But  would  the  word  of  Arsene  Lupin 
carry  any  weight  with  the  court  ? ' ' 

"No  matter;  I  will  fight  it  out." 

The  gallery  shouted  with  glee ;  and  wagers 
were  freely  made  upon  the  result  with  the 
odds  in  favor  of  Lupin.  On  the  following 
Thursday  the  personal  column  in  the  Echo 
de  France  was  eagerly  perused  by  the  ex 
pectant  public,  but  it  contained  nothing  ad 
dressed  to  M.  Ars.  Lup.  Mon.  Gerbois  had 
not  replied  to  Arsene  Lupin's  letter.  That 
was  the  declaration  of  war. 

That  evening  the  newspapers  announced 

the  abduction  of  Mile.  Suzanne  Gerbois. 

*  *  *  *  # 

The  most  entertaining  feature  in  what 
might  be  called  the  Arsene  Lupin  dramas  is 
the  comic  attitude  displayed  by  the  Parisian 
police.  Arsene  Lupin  talks,  plans,  writes, 
commands,  threatens  and  executes  as  if  the 
police  did  not  exist.  They  never  figure  in  his 
calculations. 

And  yet  the  police  do  their  utmost.    But 


VERSUS     HERLOCK     SHOLMES  23 

what  can  they  do  against  such  a  foe — a  foe 
that  scorns  and  ignores  them? 

Suzanne  had  left  the  house  at  twenty 
minutes  to  ten;  such  was  the  testimony  of  the 
servant.  On  leaving  the  college,  at  five 
minutes  past  ten,  her  father  did  not  find  her 
at  the  place  she  was  accustomed  to  wait  for 
him.  Consequently,  whatever  had  happened 
must  have  occurred  during  the  course  of 
Suzanne's  walk  from  the  house  to  the  col 
lege.  Two  neighbors  had  met  her  about  three 
hundred  yards  from  the  house.  A  lady  had 
seen,  on  the  avenue,  a  young  girl  correspond 
ing  to  Suzanne's  description.  No  one  else 
had  seen  her. 

Inquiries  were  made  in  all  directions;  the 
employees  of  the  railways  and  street-car  lines 
were  questioned,  but  none  of  them  had  seen 
anything  of  the  missing  girl.  However,  at 
Ville-d'Avray,  they  found  a  shopkeeper  who 
had  furnished  gasoline  to  an  automobile  that 
had  come  from  Paris  on  the  day  of  the  ab 
duction.  It  was  occupied  by  a  blonde  woman 
—extremely  blonde,  said  the  witness.  An 
hour  later,  the  automobile  again  passed 
through  Ville-d'Avray  on  its  way  from  Ver 
sailles  to  Paris.  The  shopkeeper  declared 
that  the  automobile  now  contained  a  second 


24  ARSENE     LUPIN 

woman  who  was  heavily  veiled.  No  doubt,  it 
was  Suzanne  Gerbois. 

The  abduction  must  have  taken  place  in 
broad  daylight,  on  a  frequented  street,  in  the 
very  heart  of  the  town.  How?  And  at  what 
spot  ?  Not  a  cry  was  heard ;  not  a  suspicious 
action  had  been  seen.  The  shopkeeper 
described  the  automobile  as  a  royal-blue 
limousine  of  twenty-four  horse-power  made 
by  the  firm  of  Peugeon  &  Co.  Inquiries  were 
then  made  at  the  Grand-Garage,  managed  by 
Madame  Bob-Walthour,  who  made  a  spe 
cialty  of  abductions  by  automobile.  It  was 
learned  that  she  had  rented  a  Peugeon 
limousine  on  that  day  to  a  blonde  woman 
whom  she  had  never  seen  before  nor  since. 

"Who  was  the  chauffeur!" 

"A  young  man  named  Ernest,  whom  I  had 
engaged  only  the  day  before.  He  came  well 
recommended. ' ' 

"Is  he  here  now!" 

"No.  He  brought  back  the  machine,  but 
I  haven't  seen  him  since,"  said  Madame  Bob- 
Walthour. 

"Do  you  know  where  we  can  find  him!" 

"You  might  see  the  people  who  recom 
mended  him  to  me.  Here  are  the  names." 

Upon  inquiry,  it  was  learned  that  none  of 


VERSUS     HERLOCK     SHOLMES 


25 


these  people  knew  the  man  called  Ernest. 
The  recommendations  were  forged. 

Such  was  the  fate  of  every  clue  followed 
by  the  police.  It  ended  nowhere.  The 
mystery  remained  unsolved. 

Mon.  Gerbois  had  not  the  strength  or 
courage  to  wage  such  an  unequal  battle.  The 
disappearance  of  his  daughter  crushed  him; 
he  capitulated  to  the  enemy.  A  short  an- 
announcement  in  the  Echo  de  France  pro 
claimed  his  unconditional  surrender. 

Two  days  later,  Mon.  Gerbois  visited  the 
office  of  the  Credit  Foncier  and  handed 
lottery  ticket  number  514,  series  23,  to  the 
governor,  who  exclaimed,  with  surprise: 

"Ah!  you  have  it!  He  has  returned  it  to 
you!" 

"It  was  mislaid.  That  was  all,"  replied 
Mon.  Gerbois. 

"But  you  pretended  that  it  had  been 
stolen."  " 

"At  first,  I  thought  it  had  .  .  .  but 
here  it  is." 

"We  will  require  some  evidence  to 
establish  your  right  to  the  ticket." 

"Will  the  letter  of  the  purchaser,  Monsieur 
Bessy,  be  sufficient!" 

"Yes,  that  will  do." 


26  ARSENE     LUPIN 

"Here  it  is,"  said  Mon.  Gerbois,  producing 
the  letter. 

"Very  well.  Leave  these  papers  with  us. 
The  rules  of  the  lottery  allow  us  fifteen  days ' 
time  to  investigate  your  claim.  I  will  let  you 
know  when  to  call  for  your  money.  I  pre 
sume  you  desire,  as  much  as  I  do,  that  this 
affair  should  be  closed  without  further  pub 
licity." 

"Quite  so." 

Mon.  Gerbois  and  the  governor  henceforth 
maintained  a  discreet  silence.  But  the  secret 
was  revealed  in  some  way,  for  it  was  soon 
commonly  known  that  Arsene  Lupin  had  re 
turned  the  lottery  ticket  to  Mon.  Gerbois. 
The  public  received  the  news  with  astonish 
ment  and  admiration.  Certainly,  he  was  a 
bold  gamester  who  thus  threw  upon  the  table 
a  trump  card  of  such  importance  as  the 
precious  ticket.  But,  it  was  true,  he  still  re 
tained  a  trump  card  of  equal  importance. 
However,  if  the  young  girl  should  escape? 
If  the  hostage  held  by  Arsene  Lupin  should 
be  rescued? 

The  police  thought  they  had  discovered  the 
weak  spot  of  the  enemy,  and  now  redoubled 
their  efforts.  Arsene  Lupin  disarmed  by  his 
own  act,  crushed  by  the  wheels  of  his  own 


VERSUS     HERLOCK     SHOLMES 


27 


machination,  deprived  of  every  sou  of  the 
coveted  million  .  .  .  public  interest  now 
centered  in  the  camp  of  his  adversary. 

But  it  was  necessary  to  find  Suzanne.  And 
they  did  not  find  her,  nor  did  she  escape. 
Consequently,  it  must  be  admitted,  Arsene 
Lupin  had  won  the  first  hand.  But  the  game 
was  not  yet  decided.  The  most  difficult  point 
remained.  Mile.  Gerbois  is  in  his  possession, 
and  he  will  hold  her  until  he  receives  five 
hundred  thousand  francs.  But  how  and 
where  will  such  an  exchange  be  made?  For 
that  purpose,  a  meeting  must  be  arranged, 
and  then  what  will  prevent  Mon.  Gerbois 
from  warning  the  police  and,  in  that  way, 
effecting  the  rescue  of  his  daughter  and,  at 
the  same  time,  keeping  his  money !  The  pro 
fessor  was  interviewed,  but  he  was  ex 
tremely  reticent.  His  answer  was : 

"I  have  nothing  to  say/' 

"And  Mile.  Gerbois!' ' 

' '  The  search  is  being  continued. ' ' 

"But  Arsene  Lupin  has  written  to  you?" 

"No." 

"Do  you  swear  to  that?" 

"No." 

"Then  it  is  true.  What  are  his  instruc 
tions  I" 


28  ARSENE     LUPIN" 

"I  have  nothing  to  say." 

Then  the  interviewers  attacked  Mon.  Deti- 
nan,  and  found  his  equally  discreet. 

"Monsieur  Lupin  is  my  client,  and  I  can 
not  discuss  his  affairs,"  he  replied,  with  an 
affected  air  of  gravity. 

These  mysteries  served  to  irritate  the 
gallery.  Obviously,  some  secret  negotiations 
were  in  progress.  Arsene  Lupin  had  ar 
ranged  and  tightened  the  meshes  of  his  net, 
while  the  police  maintained  a  close  watch, 
day  and  night,  over  Mon.  Gerbois.  And  the 
three  and  only  possible  denouements — the  ar 
rest,  the  triumph,  or  the  ridiculous  and  piti 
ful  abortion — were  freely  discussed;  but  the 
curiosity  of  the  public  was  only  partially 
satisfied,  and  it  was  reserved  for  these  pages 

to  reveal  the  exact  truth  of  the  affair. 

***** 

On  Monday,  March  12th,  Mon.  Gerbois  re 
ceived  a  notice  from  the  Credit  Foncier.  On 
Wednesday,  he  took  the  one  o  'clock  train  for 
Paris.  At  two  o'clock,  a  thousand  bank-notes 
of  one  thousand  francs  each  were  delivered 
to  him.  Whilst  he  was  counting  them,  one 
by  one,  in  a  state  of  nervous  agitation — that 
money,  which  represented  Suzanne's  ransom 
— a  carriage  containing  two  men  stopped  at 


VERSUS     HERLOCK     SHOLMES 


29 


the  curb  a  short  distance  from  the  bank.  One 
of  the  men  had  grey  hair  and  an  unusually 
shrewd  expression  which  formed  a  striking 
contrast  to  his  shabby  make-up.  It  was  De 
tective  Ganimard,  the  relentless  enemy  of 
Arsene  Lupin.  Ganimard  said  to  his  com 
panion,  Folenfant: 

"In  five  minutes,  we  will  see  our  clever 
friend  Lupin.  Is  everything  ready  ? ' ' 

"Yes." 

"How  many  men  have  we!" 

"Eight — two  of  them  on  bicycles." 

"Enough,  but  not  too  many.  On  no  ac 
count,  must  Gerbois  escape  us ;  if  he  does,  it 
is  all  up.  He  will  meet  Lupin  at  the  ap 
pointed  place,  give  half  a  million  in  exchange 
for  the  girl,  and  the  game  will  be  over." 

"But  why  doesn't  Gerbois  work  with  us! 
That  would  be  the  better  way,  and  he  could 
keep  all  the  money  himself. ' ' 

"Yes,  but  he  is  afraid  that  if  he  deceives 
the  other,  he  will  not  get  his  daughter." 

"What  other?" 

"Lupin." 

Ganimard  pronounced  the  word  in  a 
solemn  tone,  somewhat  timidly,  as  if  he  were 
speaking  of  some  supernatural  creature 
whose  claws  he  alreadv  felt. 


30  ARSl&NE    LUPIN 

"It  is  very  strange, "  remarked  Folenfant, 
judiciously,  "that  we  are  obliged  to  protect 
this  gentleman  contrary  to  his  own  wishes/' 

"Yes,  but  Lupin  always  turns  the  world 
upside  down,"  said  Ganimard,  mournfully. 

A  moment  later,  Mon.  Gerbois  appeared, 
and  started  up  the  street.  At  the  end  of  the 
rue  des  Capucines,  he  turned  into  the  boule 
vards,  walking  slowly,  and  stopping  fre 
quently  to  gaze  at  the  shop-windows. 

"Much  too  calm,  too  self  -possessed, "  said 
Ganimard.  "A  man  with  a  million  in  his 
pocket  would  not  have  that  air  of  tran 
quillity.  ' ' 

"What  is  he  doing?" 

"Oh!  nothing,  evidently  .  .  .  But  I 
have  a  suspicion  that  it  is  Lupin — yes, 
Lupin!" 

At  that  moment,  Mon.  Gerbois  stopped  at 
a  news-stand,  purchased  a  paper,  unfolded 
it  and  commenced  to  read  it  as  he  walked 
slowly  away.  A  moment  later,  he  gave  a 
sudden  bound  into  an  automobile  that  was 
standing  at  the  curb.  Apparently,  the  ma 
chine  had  been  waiting  for  him,  as  it  started 
away  rapidly,  turned  at  the  Madeleine  and 
disappeared. 


VERSUS     HERLOCK     SHOLMES  31 

"Nom  de  nom!"  cried  Ganimard,  "that's 
one  of  his  old  tricks ! ' ' 

Ganimard  hastened  after  the  automobile 
around  the  Madeleine.  Then,  he  burst  into 
laughter.  At  the  entrance  to  the  Boulevard 
Malesherbes,  the  automobile  had  stopped  and 
Mon  Gerbois  had  alighted. 

"Quick,  Folenfant,  the  chauffeur!  It  may 
be  the  man  Ernest.'7 

Folenfant  interviewed  the  chauffeur.  His 
name  was  Gaston ;  he  was  an  employee  of  the 
automobile  cab  company;  ten  minutes  ago,  a 
gentleman  had  engaged  him  and  told  him  to 
wait  near  the  news-stand  for  another 
gentleman. 

"And  the  second  man — what  address  did 
he  give  I "  asked  Folenfant. 

"No  address.  '  Boulevard  Malesherbes 
.  .  .  avenue  de  Messine  .  .  .  double 
pourboire.'  That  is  all." 

But,  during  this  time,  Mon.  Gerbois  had 
leaped  into  the  first  passing  carriage. 

"To  the  Concorde  station,  Metropolitan," 
he  said  to  the  driver. 

He  left  the  underground  at  the  Place  du 
Palais-Royal,  ran  to  another  carriage  and 
ordered  it  to  go  to  the  Place  de  la  Bourse. 
Then  a  second  journey  by  the  underground  to 


32  ARSENE     LUPIN 

the  Avenue  de  Villiers,  followed  by  a  third 
carriage  drive  to  number  25  rue  Clapeyron. 

Number  25  rue  Clapeyron  is  separated 
from  the  Boulevard  des  Batignolles  by  the 
house  which  occupies  the  angle  formed  by  the 
two  streets.  He  ascended  to  the  first  floor 
and  rang.  A  gentleman  opened  the  door. 

"Does  Monsieur  Detinan  live  here?" 

i  i  Yes,  that  is  my  name.  Are  you  Monsieur 
Gerbois!" 

"Yes." 

"I  was  expecting  you.     Step  in." 

As  Mon.  Gerbois  entered  the  lawyer's  of 
fice,  the  clock  struck  three.  He  said : 

' '  I  am  prompt  to  the  minute.    Is  he  here  ? ' ' 

"Not  yet." 

Mon.  Gerbois  took  a  seat,  wiped  his  fore 
head,  looked  at  his  watch  as  if  he  did  not 
know  the  time,  and  inquired,  anxiously : 

"Will  he  come?" 

"Well,  monsieur,"  replied  the  lawyer, 
"that  I  do  not  know,  but  I  am  quite  as 
anxious  and  impatient  as  you  are  to  find  out. 
If  he  comes,  he  will  run  a  great  risk,  as  this 
house  has  been  closely  watched  for  the  last 
two  weeks.  They  distrust  me." 

"They  suspect  me,  too.     I  am  not  sure 


VERSUS     HERLOCK     SHOLMES  33 

whether  the  detectives  lost  sight  of  me  or  not 
on  my  way  here. 

"But  you  were — " 

"It  wouldn't  be  my  fault,"  cried  the  pro 
fessor,  quickly.  "You  cannot  reproach  me. 
I  promised  to  obey  his  orders,  and  I  followed 
them  to  the  very  letter.  I  drew  the  money 
at  the  time  fixed  by  him,  and  I  came  here  in 
the  manner  directed  by  him.  I  have  faith 
fully  performed  my  part  of  the  agreement — 
let  him  do  his ! ' ' 

After  a  short  silence,  he  asked,  anxiously : 

"He  will  bring  my  daughter,  won't  he?" 

4  i  I  expect  so. ' ' 

"But    .    .    .    you  have  seen  him!" 

"I?  No,  not  yet.  He  made  the  appoint 
ment  by  letter,  saying  both  of  you  would  be 
here,  and  asking  me  to  dismiss  my  servants 
before  three  o'clock  and  admit  no  one  while 
you  were  here.  If  I  would  not  consent  to 
that  arrangement,  I  was  to  notify  him  by  a 
few  words  in  the  Echo  de  France.  But  I  am 
only  too  happy  to  oblige  Mon.  Lupin,  and  so 
I  consented." 

"Ah!  how  will  this  end?"  moaned  Mon. 
Gerbois. 

He  took  the  bank-notes  from  his  pocket, 
placed  them  on  the  table  and  divided  them 


34  ARSENE     LUPIN" 

into  two  equal  parts.  Then  the  two  men  sat 
there  in  silence.  From  time  to  time,  Mon. 
Gerbois  would  listen.  Did  someone  ring! 
.  .  .  His  nervousness  increased  every 
minute,  and  Monsieur  Detinan  also  displayed 
considerable  anxiety.  At  last,  the  lawyer 
lost  his  patience.  He  rose  abruptly,  and 
said: 

"He  will  not  come  .  .  .  We  shouldn't 
expect  it.  It  would  be  folly  on  his  part.  He 
would  run  too  great  a  risk." 

And  Mon.  Gerbois,  despondent,  his  hands 
resting  on  the  bank-notes,  stammered: 

"Oh!  Mon  Dieu!  I  hope  he  will  come.  I 
would  give  the  whole  of  that  money  to  see 
my  daughter  again." 

The  door  opened. 

"Half  of  it  will  be  sufficient,  Monsieur 
Gerbois." 

These  words  were  spoken  by  a  well-dressed 
young  man  who  now  entered  the  room  and 
was  immediately  recognized  by  Mon.  Gerbois 
as  the  person  who  had  wished  to  buy  the  desk 
from  him  at  Versailles.  He  rushed  toward 
him. 

"Where  is  my  daughter — my  Suzanne?" 

Arsene  Lupin   carefully  closed  the  door, 


VERSUS     HERLOCK     SHOLMES 


35 


and,  while  slowly  removing  his  gloves,  said  to 
the  lawyer: 

"My  dear  maitre,  I  am  indebted  to  you 
very  much  for  your  kindness  in  consenting 
to  defend  my  interests.  I  shall  not  forget 
it." 

Mon.  Detinan  murmured: 

' '  But  you  did  not  ring.  I  did  not  hear  the 
door—" 

"Doors  and  bells  are  things  that  should 
work  without  being  heard.  I  am  here,  and 
that  is  the  important  point." 

"My  daughter!  Suzanne!  Where  is 
she  ? ' '  repeated  the  professor. 

"Mon  Dieu,  monsieur,"  said  Lupin, 
"what's  your  hurry?  Your  daughter  will  be 
here  in  a  moment." 

Lupin  walked  to  and  fro  for  a  minute,  then, 
with  the  pompous  air  of  an  orator,  he  said: 

"Monsieur  Gerbois,  I  congratulate  you  on 
the  clever  way  in  which  you  made  the  jour 
ney  to  this  place." 

Then,  perceiving  the  two  piles  of  bank 
notes,  he  exclaimed: 

"Ah!  I  see!  the  million  is  here.  We  will 
not  lose  any  time.  Permit  me." 

"One  moment,"  said  the  lawyer,  placing 


36  ARSENE     LUPIN 

Mmself  before  the  table.  "Mile.  Gerbois  has 
not  yet  arrived. " 

"Well!" 

"Is  not  her  presence  indispensable!" 

"I  understand!  I  understand!  Arsene 
Lupin  inspires  only  a  limited  confidence.  He 
might  pocket  the  half-million  and  not  restore 
the  hostage.  Ah!  monsieur,  people  do  not 
understand  me.  Because  I  have  been  obliged, 
by  force  of  circumstances,  to  commit  certain 
actions  a  little  .  .  .  out  of  the  ordinary, 
my  good  faith  is  impugned  ...  I,  who 
have  always  observed  the  utmost  scru 
pulosity  and  delicacy  in  business  affairs. 
Besides,  my  dear  monsieur  if  you  have 
any  fear,  open  the  window  and  call. 
There  are  at  least  a  dozen  detectives  in  the 
street." 

"Do  you  think  so?" 

Arsene  Lupin  raised  the  curtain. 

"I  think  that  Monsieur  Gerbois  could  not 
throw  Ganimard  off  the  scent  .  .  .  What 
did  I  tell  you  f  There  he  is  now. ' ' 

"Is  it  possible!"  exclaimed  the  pro 
fessor.  "But  I  swear  to  you — " 

"That  you  have  not  betrayed  me?  .  .  . 
I  do  not  doubt  you,  but  those  fellows  are 
clever — sometimes.  Ah !  I  can  see  Folenf ant, 


VERSUS     HERLOCK     SHOLMES 


37 


and  Greaume,  and  Dieuzy — all  good  friends 
of  mine  I" 

Mon.  Detinan  looked  at  Lupin  in  amaze 
ment.  What  assurance!  He  laughed  as 
merrily  as  if  engaged  in  some  childish  sport, 
as  if  no  danger  threatened  him.  This  un 
concern  reassured  the  lawyer  more  than  the 
presence  of  the  detectives.  He  left  the  table 
on  which  the  bank-notes  were  lying.  Arsene 
Lupin  picked  up  one  pile  of  bills  after  the 
other,  took  from  each  of  them  twenty-five 
bank-notes  which  he  offered  to  Mon.  Detinan, 
saying: 

'  *  The  reward  of  your  services  to  Monsieur 
Gerbois  and  Arsene  Lupin.  You  well  deserve 
it." 

"You  owe  me  nothing/'  replied  the 
lawyer. 

"What!  After  all  the  trouble  we  have 
caused  you ! ' ' 

4 1  And  all  the  pleasure  you  have  given  me ! ' ' 

4  '  That  means,  my  dear  monsieur,  that  you 
do  not  wish  to  accept  anything  from  Arsene 
Lupin.  See  what  it  is  to  have  a  bad  reputa 
tion." 

He  then  offered  the  fifty  thousand  francs 
to  Mon.  Gerbois,  saying: 

"Monsieur,  in  memory  of  our  pleasant  in- 


ARSENE     LUPIN 

terview,  permit  me  to  return  you  this  as  a 
wedding-gift  to  Mile.  Gerbois." 

Mon.  Gerbois  took  the  money,  but  said: 
' '  My  daughter  will  not  marry. ' ' 
"She  will  not  marry  if  you  refuse  your 
consent;  but  she  wishes  to  marry." 
"What  do  you  know  about  it?" 
"I  know  that  young  girls  often  dream  of 
such  things  unknown  to  their  parents.    For 
tunately,  there  are  sometimes  good  genii  like 
Arsene  Lupin  who  discover  their  little  secrets 
in  the  drawers  of  their  writing  desks." 

"Did  you  find  anything  else!"  asked  the 
lawyer.  "I  confess  I  am  curious  to  know 
why  you  took  so  much  trouble  to  get  pos 
session  of  that  desk." 

"On  account  of  its  historic  interest,  my 
friend.  Although  despite  the  opinion  of  Mon 
sieur  Gerbois,  the  desk  contained  no 
treasure  except  the  lottery  ticket — and  that 
was  unknown  to  me — I  had  been  seeking  it 
for  a  long  time.  That  writing-desk  of  yew 
and  mahogany  was  discovered  in  the  little 
house  in  which  Marie  Walewska  once  lived  in 
Boulogne,  and,  on  one  of  the  drawers  there 
is  this  inscription :  'Dedicated  to  Napoleon  I, 
Emperor  of  the  French,  loy  his  very  faithful 
servant,  Mancion.'  And  above  it,  these  words, 


VERSUS     HERLOCK     SHOLMES 


engraved  with  the  point  of  a  knife :  *  To  you, 
Marie.'  Afterwards,  Napoleon  had  a  similar 
desk  made  for  the  Empress  Josephine;  so 
that  the  secretary  that  was  so  much  admired 
at  the  Malmaison  was  only  an  imperfect  copy 
of  the  one  that  will  henceforth  form  part  of 
my  collection. ' ' 

i '  Ah !  if  I  had  known,  when  in  the  shop,  I 
would  gladly  have  given  it  up  to  you,"  said 
the  professor. 

Arsene  Lupin  smiled,  as  he  replied: 

"And  you  would  have  had  the  advantage 
of  keeping  for  your  own  use  lottery  ticket 
number  514." 

"And  you  would  not  have  found  it  neces 
sary  to  abduct  my  daughter." 

"Abduct  your  daughter!" 

"Yes." 

"My  dear  monsieur,  you  are  mistaken. 
Mile.  Gerbois  was  not  abducted. ' ' 

"No!" 

"Certainly  not.  Abduction  means  force 
or  violence.  And  I  assure  you  that  she 
served  as  hostage  of  her  own  free  will." 

"Of  her  own  free  will!"  repeated  Mon. 
Gerbois,  in  amazement. 

"In  fact,  she  almost  asked  to  be  taken. 
Why,  do  you  suppose  that  an  intelligent 


40  ARSESTE    LUPIN 

young  girl  like  Mile.  Gerbois,  and  who,  more 
over,  nourishes  an  unacknowledged  passion, 
would  hesitate  to  do  what  was  necessary  to 
secure  her  dowry.  Ah !  I  swear  to  you  it  was 
not  difficult  to  make-  her  understand  that  it 
was  the  only  way  to  overcome  your  ob 
stinacy.  ' ' 

Mon.  Detinan  was  greatly  amused.  He 
replied  to  Lupin: 

"But  I  should  think  it  was  more  difficult 
to  get  her  to  listen  to  you.  How  did  you 
approach  her?" 

"  Oh !  I  didn't  approach  her  myself.  I  have 
not  the  honor  of  her  acquaintance.  A  friend 
of  mine,  a  lady,  carried  on  the  negotiations. ' ' 

"The  blonde  woman  in  the  automobile,  no 
doubt.'7 

"Precisely.  All  arrangements  were  made 
at  the  first  interview  near  the  college.  Since 
then,  Mile.  Gerbois  and  her  new  friend  have 
been  travelling  in  Belgium  and  Holland  in 
a  manner  that  should  prove  most  pleasing 
and  instructive  to  a  young  girl.  She  will 
tell  you  all  about  it  herself — " 

The  bell  of  the  vestibule  door  rang,  three 
rings  in  quick  succession,  followed  by  two 
isolated  rings. 


VERSUS     HERLOCK     SHOLMES 


"It  is  she/7  said  Lupin.  "Monsieur  Deti- 
nan,  if  you  will  be  so  kind  —  " 

The  lawyer  hastened  to  the  door. 

Two  young  women  entered.  One  of  them 
threw  herself  into  the  arms  of  Mon.  Gerbois. 
The  other  approached  Lupin.  The  latter  was 
a  tall  woman  of  a  good  figure,  very  pale  com 
plexion,  and  with  blond  hair,  parted  over  her 
forehead  in  undulating  waves,  that  glistened 
and  shone  like  the  setting  sun.  She  was 
dressed  in  black,  with  no  display  of  jewelled 
ornaments;  but,  on  the  contrary,  her  ap 
pearance  indicated  good  taste  and  refined 
elegance.  Arsene  Lupin  spoke  a  few  words 
to  her;  then,  bowing  to  Mile.  Gerbois,  he 
said: 

"I  owe  you  an  apology,  mademoiselle,  for 
all  your  troubles,  but  I  hope  you  have  not 
been  too  unhappy— 

1  '  Unhappy  !  Why,  I  should  have  been  very 
happy,  indeed,  if  it  hadn't  been  for  leaving 
my  poor  father.  '  ' 

"Then  all  is  for  the  best.  Kiss  him  again, 
and  take  advantage  of  the  opportunity  —  it 
is  an  excellent  one  —  to  speak  to  him  about 
your  cousin." 

4  '  My  cousin  !  What  do  you  mean  ?  I  don  't 
understand." 


42  ARSENE     LUPIN 


1 1 1 


Of  course,  you  understand.  Your 
cousin  Philippe.  The  young  man  whose  let 
ters  you  kept  so  carefully." 

Suzanne  blushed;  but,  following  Lupin's 
advice,  she  again  threw  herself  into  her 
father's  arms.  Lupin  gazed  upon  them  with 
a  tender  look. 

"Ah!  Such  is  my  reward  for  a  virtuous 
act!  What  a  touching  picture!  A  happy 
father  and  a  happy  daughter !  And  to  know 
that  their  joy  is  your  work,  Lupin!  Here 
after  these  people  will  bless  you,  and  rever 
ently  transmit  your  name  unto  their  descend 
ants,  even  unto  the  fourth  generation. 
What  a  glorious  reward,  Lupin,  for  one  act 
of  kindness!" 

He  walked  to  the  window. 

"Is  dear  old  Ganimard  still  waiting? 
.  .  .  He  would  like  very  much  to  be 
present  at  this  charming  domestic  scene! 
.  .  .  Ah!  he  is  not  there.  .  .  .  Nor 
any  of  the  others.  ...  I  don't  see  any 
one.  The  deuce !  The  situation  is  becoming 
serious.  I  dare  say  they  are  already  under 
the  porte-cochere  .  *  .  talking  to  the 
concierge,  perhaps  .  .  .  or,  even,  ascend 
ing  the  stairs ! ' ' 

Mon.  Gerbois  made  a  sudden  movement. 


VERSUS     HERLOCK     SHOLMES 


43 


Now,  that  his  daughter  had  been  restored  to 
him,  he  saw  the  situation  in  a  different  light. 
To  him,  the  arrest  of  his  adversary  meant 
half-a-million  francs.  Instinctively,  he  made 
a  step  forward.  As  if  by  chance,  Lupin  stood 
in  his  way. 

"Where  are  you  going,  Monsieur  Gerboisf 
To  defend  me  against  them?  That  is  very 
kind  of  you,  but  I  assure  you  it  is  not  neces 
sary.  They  are  more  worried  than  I. ' ' 

Then  he  continued  to  speak,  with  calm  de 
liberation: 

"But,  really,  what  do  they  know!  That 
you  are  here,  and,  perhaps,  that  Mile.  Ger- 
bois  is  here,  for  they  may  have  seen  her  ar 
rive  with  an  unknown  lady.  But  they  do  not 
imagine  that  I  am  here.  How  is  it  possible 
that  I  could  be  in  a  house  that  they  ran 
sacked  from  cellar  to  garret  this  morning? 
They  suppose  that  the  unknown  lady  was  sent 
by  me  to  make  the  exchange,  and  they  will 
be  ready  to  arrest  her  when  she  goes  out— 

At  that  moment,  the  bell  rang.  With  a 
brusque  movement,  Lupin  seized  Mon.  Ger- 
bois,  and  said  to  him,  in  an  imperious  tone: 

i  i  Do  not  move !  Remember  your  daughter, 
and  be  prudent — otherwise —  As  to  you,  Mon 
sieur  Detinan,  I  have  your  promise." 


44  ARSENE     LUPIN 

Mon.  Gerbois  was  rooted  to  the  spot.  The 
lawyer  did  not  stir.  Without  the  least  sign 
of  haste,  Lupin  picked  up  his  hat  and  brushed 
the  dust  from  off  it  with  his  sleeve. 

* '  My  dear  Monsieur  Detinan,  if  I  can  ever 
be  of  service  to  you.  .  .  .  My  best  wishes, 
Mademoiselle  Suzanne,  and  my  kind  regards 
to  Monsieur  Philippe. " 

He  drew  a  heavy  gold  watch  from  his 
pocket. 

"Monsieur  Gerbois,  it  is  now  forty-two 
minutes  past  three.  At  forty-six  minutes  past 
three,  I  give  you  permission  to  leave  this 
room.  Not  one  minute  sooner  than  forty-six 
minutes  past  three." 

"But  they  will  force  an  entrance,"  sug 
gested  Mon.  Detinan. 

"You  forget  the  law,  my  dear  monsieur! 
Ganimard  would  never  venture  to  violate  the 
privacy  of  a  French  citizen.  But,  pardon  me, 
time  flies,  and  you  are  all  slightly  nervous." 

He  placed  his  watch  on  the  table,  opened 
the  door  of  the  room  and  addressing  the 
blonde  lady  he  said: 

' '  Are  you  ready  my  dear  f ' ' 

He  drew  back  to  let  her  pass,  bowed  re 
spectfully  to  Mile.  Gerbois,  and  went  out, 
closing  the  door  behind  him.  Then  they  heard 


VERSUS    HERLOCK     SHOLMES  45 

liim  in  the  vestibule,  speaking,  in  a  loud  voice : 

"Good-day,  Ganimard,  how  goes  it?  Ee- 
inember  me  to  Madame  Ganimard.  One  of 
these  days,  I  shall  invite  her  to  breakfast. 
Au  revoir,  Ganimard. ' ' 

The  bell  rang  violently,  followed  by  re 
peated  rings,  and  voices  on  the  landing. 

* '  Forty-five  minutes, ' '  muttered  Mon.  Ger- 
bois. 

After  a  few  seconds,  he  left  the  room  and 
stepped  into  the  vestibule.  Arsene  Lupin  and 
the  blonde  lady  had  gone. 

"Papa!  .  .  .  you  mustn't!  Wait!'' 
cried  Suzanne. 

"Wait!  you  are  foolish !  .  .  .  No  quar 
ter  for  that  rascal!  .  .  .  And  the  half- 
millionf" 

He  opened  the  outer  door.  Ganimard 
rushed  in. 

"That  woman — where  is  she?  And 
Lupin! " 

"He  was  here    .    .    .    he  is  here." 

Ganimard  uttered  a  cry  of  triumph. 

t  '  We  have  him.    The  house  is  surrounded.  * ' 

"But  the  servant's  stairway?"  suggested 
Mon.  Detinan. 

"It  leads  to  the  court,"  said  Ganimard. 
"There  is  only  one  exit — the  street-door. 


46  ARSENE     LUPIN 

Ten  men  are  guarding  it. ' ' 

4 'But  he  didn't  come  in  by  the  street-door, 
and  he  will  not  go  out  that  way. ' ' 

"What  way,  then?"  asked  Ganimard. 
"Through  the  air?" 

He  drew  aside  a  curtain  and  exposed  a  long 
corridor  leading  to  the  kitchen.  Ganimard 
ran  along  it  and  tried  the  door  of  the  serv 
ants'  stairway.  It  was  locked.  From  the 
window  he  called  to  one  of  his  assistants : 

"Seen  anyone?" 

"No." 

"Then  they  are  still  in  the  house!"  he  ex 
claimed.  "They  are  hiding  in  one  of  the 
rooms!  They  cannot  have  escaped.  Ah! 
Lupin,  you  fooled  me  before,  but,  this  time, 

I  get  my  revenge." 

***** 

At  seven  o'clock  in  the  evening,  Mon. 
Dudonis,  chief  of  the  detective  service,  aston 
ished  at  not  receiving  any  news,  visited  the 
rue  Clapeyron.  He  questioned  the  detectives 
who  were  guarding  the  house,  then  ascended 
to  Mon.  Detinan's  apartment.  The  lawyer 
led  him  into  his  room.  There,  Mon.  Dudonis 
beheld  a  man,  or  rather  two  legs  kicking  in 
the  air,  while  the  body  to  which  they  belonged 
was  hidden  in  the  depths  of  the  chimney. 


VERSUS    HERLOCK     SHOLMES  47 


•  - , 


Ohe!  .  .  .  Ohe!"  gasped  a  stifled 
voice.  And  a  more  distant  voice,  from  on 
high,  replied: 

"Ohe!    .    .    .    Ohe!" 

Mon.  Dudonis  laughed,  and  exclaimed: 

* i  Here !  Ganimard,  have  you  turned  chim 
ney-sweep!" 

The  detective  crawled  out  of  the  chimney. 
With  his  blackened  face,  his  sooty  clothes, 
and  his  feverish  eyes,  he  was  quite  unrecog 
nizable. 

"I  am  looking  for  him/9  he  growled. 

"Who!" 

"Arsene  Lupin    .    .    .    and  his  friend. " 

4 'Well,  do  you  suppose  they  are  hiding  in 
the  chimney?" 

Ganimard  arose,  laid  his  sooty  hand  on 
the  sleeve  of  his  superior  officer's  coat,  and 
exclaimed,  angrily : 

"Where  do  you  think  they  are,  chief?  They 
must  be  somewhere!  They  are  flesh  and 
blood  like  you  and  me,  and  can't  fade  away 
like  smoke." 

"No,  but  they  have  faded  away  just  the 
same." 

"But  how?  How?  The  house  is  sur 
rounded  by  our  men — even  on  the  roof." 


48  ARSENE     LUPIN" 

"What  about  the  adjoining  house ?" 
"There's  no  communication  with  it." 
"And  the  apartments  on  the  other  floors?" 
"I  know  all  the  tenants.     They  have  not 
seen  anyone." 

"Are  you  sure  you  know  all  of  them?" 
"Yes.  The  concierge  answers  for  them. 
Besides,  as  an  extra  precaution,  I  have  placed 
a  man  in  each  apartment.  They  can't  escape. 
If  I  don't  get  them  to-night,  I  will  get  them 
to-morrow.  I  shall  sleep  here. ' ' 

He  slept  there  that  night  and  the  two  fol 
lowing  nights.  Three  days  and  nights  passed 
away  without  the  discovery  of  the  irrepressi 
ble  Lupin  or  his  female  companion;  more 
than  that,  Ganimard  did  not  unearth  the 
slightest  clue  on  which  to  base  a  theory  to 
explain  their  escape.  For  that  reason,  he 
adhered  to  his  first  opinion. 

"There  is  no  trace  of  their  escape;  there 
fore,  they  are  here. ' ' 

It  may  be  that,  at  the  bottom  of  his  heart, 
his  conviction  was  less  firmly  established,  but 
he  would  not  confess  it.  No,  a  thousand 
times,  no!  A  man  and  a  woman  could  not 
vanish  like  the  evil  spirits  in  a  fairy  tale. 
And,  without  losing  his  courage,  he  continued 


VERSUS    HERLOCK     SHOLMES  49 

his  searches,  as  if  he  expected  to  find  the 
fugitives  concealed  in  some  impenetrable  re 
treat,  or  embodied  in  the  stone  walls  of  the 
house. 


CHAPTER  II 

THE  BLUE  DIAMOND. 

N  the  evening  of  March  27,  at  number 
134  avenue  Henri-Martin,  in  the  house 
that  he  had  inherited  from  his  brother 
six  months  before,  the  old  general  Baron 
d'Hautree,  ambassador  at  Berlin  under  the 
second  Empire,  was  asleep  in  a  comfortable 
armchair,  while  his  secretary  was  reading  to 
him,  and  the  Sister  Auguste  was  warming  his 
bed  and  preparing  the  night-lamp.  At  eleven 
o  'clock,  the  Sister,  who  was  obliged  to  return 
to  the  convent  of  her  order  at  that  hour,  said 
to  the  secretary : 

"Mademoiselle  Antoinette,  my  work  is  fin 
ished  ;  I  am  going. ' ' 

"Very  well,  Sister." 

"Do  not  forget  that  the  cook  is  away,  and 
that  you  are  alone  in  the  house  with  the 
servant." 

"Have  no  fear  for  the  Baron.  I  sleep  in 
the  adjoining  room  and  always  leave  the  door 
open." 

The  Sister  left  the  house.  A  few  moments 
so 


VERSUS     HERLOCK     SHOLMES 

later,  Charles,  the  servant,  came  to  receive 
his  orders.  The  Baron  was  now  awake,  and 
spoke  for  himself. 

"The  usual  orders,  Charles:  see  that  the 
electric  bell  rings  in  your  room,  and,  at  the 
first  alarm,  run  for  the  doctor.  Now,  Made 
moiselle  Antoinette,  how  far  did  we  get  in 
our  reading?7' 

"Is  Monsieur  not  going  to  bed  now?" 

"No,  no,  I  will  go  later.  Besides,  I  don't 
need  anyone." 

Twenty  minutes  later,  he  was  sleeping 
again,  and  Antoinette  crept  away  on  tiptoe. 
At  that  moment,  Charles  was  closing  the  shut 
ters  on  the  lower  floor.  In  the  kitchen,  he 
bolted  the  door  leading  to  the  garden,  and, 
in  the  vestibule,  he  not  only  locked  the  door 
but  hooked  the  chain  as  well.  Then  he  as 
cended  to  his  room  on  the  third  floor,  went  to 
bed,  and  was  soon  asleep. 

Probably  an  hour  had  passed,  when  he 
leaped  from  his  bed  in  alarm.  The  bell  was 
ringing.  It  rang  for  some  time,  seven  or 
eight  seconds  perhaps,  without  intermission. 

"Well!"  muttered  Charles,  recovering  his 
wits,  "another  of  the  Baron's  whims." 

He  dressed  himself  quickly,  descended  the 
stairs,  stopped  in  front  of  the  door,  and 


52  ARSENE     LUPIN 

rapped,  according  to  his  custom.  He  received 
no  reply.  He  opened  the  door  and  entered. 

"All!  no  light,"  he  murmured.  "What  is 
that  for?" 

Then,  in  a  low  voice,  he  called : 

"Mademoiselle?" 

No  reply. 

"Are  you  there,  mademoiselle?  What's 
the  matter?  Is  Monsieur  le  Baron  ill?" 

No  reply.  Nothing  but  a  profound  silence 
that  soon  became  depressing.  He  took  two 
steps  forward;  his  foot  struck  a  chair,  and, 
having  touched  it,  he  noticed  that  it  was  over 
turned.  Then,  with  his  hand,  he  discovered 
other  objects  on  the  floor — a  small  table  and 
a  screen.  Anxiously,  he  approached  the  wall, 
felt  for  the  electric  button,  and  turned  on  the 
light. 

In  the  centre  of  the  room,  between  the  table 
and  dressing-case,  lay  the  body  of  his  master, 
the  Baron  d'Hautrec. 

"What!  .  .  .  It  can't  be  possible!"  he 
stammered. 

He  could  not  move.  He  stood  there,  with 
bulging  eyes,  gazing  stupidly  at  the  terrible 
disorder,  the  overturned  chairs,  a  large  crys 
tal  candelabra  shattered  in  a  thousand  pieces, 
the  clock  lying  on  the  marble  hearthstone,  all 


>7ER6US     HERLOCK     SHOLMES 


evidence  of  a  fearful  and  desperate  struggle. 
The  handle  of  a  stiletto  glittered,  not  far  from 
the  corpse ;  the  blade  was  stained  with  blood. 
A  handkerchief,  marked  with  red  spots,  was 
lying  on  the  edge  of  the  bed. 

Charles  recoiled  with  horror:  the  body 
lying  at  his  feet  extended  itself  for  a  moment, 
then  shrunk  up  again ;  two  or  three  tremors, 
and  that  was  the  end. 

He  stooped  over  the  body.  There  was  a 
clean-cut  wound  on  the  neck  from  which  the 
blood  was  flowing  and  then  congealing  in  a 
black  pool  on  the  carpet.  The  face  retained 
an  expression  of  extreme  terror. 

"Some  one  has  killed  him!"  he  muttered, 
'  i  some  one  has  killed  him ! ' ' 

Then  he  shuddered  at  the  thought  that 
there  might  be  another  dreadful  crime.  Did 
not  the  baron's  secretary  sleep  in  the  ad 
joining  room?  Had  not  the  assassin  killed 
her  also  ?  He  opened  the  door ;  the  room  was 
empty.  He  concluded  that  Antoinette  had 
been  abducted,  or  else  she  had  gone  away 
before  the  crime.  He  returned  to  the  baron's 
chamber,  his  glance  falling  on  the  secretary, 
he  noticed  that  that  article  of  furniture  re 
mained  intact.  Then,  he  saw  upon  a  table, 
beside  a  bunch  of  keys  and  a  pocket-book 


ARSENE     LUPIN 


that  the  baron  placed  there  every  night,  a 
handful  of  golden  louis.  Charles  seized  the 
pocket-book,  opened  it,  and  found  some  bank 
notes.  He  counted  them;  there  were  thirteen 
notes  of  one  hundred  francs  each. 

Instinctively,  mechanically,  he  put  the 
bank-notes  in  his  pocket,  rushed  down  the 
stairs,  drew  the  bolt,  unhooked  the  chain, 
closed  the  door  behind  him,  and  fled  to  the 

street. 

***** 

Charles  was  an  honest  man.  He  had 
scarcely  left  the  gate,  when,  cooled  by  the 
night  air  and  the  rain,  he  came  to  a  sudden 
halt.  Now,  he  saw  his  action  in  its  true  light, 
and  it  filled  him  with  horror.  He  hailed  a 
passing  cab,  and  said  to  the  driver  : 

4  *  Go  to  the  police-office,  and  bring  the  com 
missary.  Hurry  !  There  has  been  a  murder 
in  that  house.  " 

The  cab-driver  whipped  his  horse.  Charles 
wished  to  return  to  the  house,  but  found  the 
gate  locked.  He  had  closed  it  himself  when 
he  came  out,  and  it  could  not  be  opened  from 
the  outside.  On  the  other  hand,  it  was  use 
less  to  ring,  as  there  was  no  one  in  the  house. 

It  was  almost  an  hour  before  the  arrival  of 
the  police.  When  they  came,  Charles  told 


VERSUS     HERLOCK     SHOLMES 


his  story  and  handed  the  bank-notes  to  the 
commissary.  A  locksmith  was  summoned, 
and,  after  considerable  difficulty,  he  suc 
ceeded  in  forcing  open  the  garden  gate  and 
the  vestibule  door.  The  commissary  of  po 
lice  entered  the  room  first,  but,  immediately, 
turned  to  Charles  and  said  : 

"You  told  me  that  the  room  was  in  the 
greatest  disorder.  " 

Charles  stood  at  the  door,  amazed,  be 
wildered;  all  the  furniture  had  been  re 
stored  to  its  accustomed  place.  The  small 
table  was  standing  between  the  two  windows, 
the  chairs  were  upright,  and  the  clock  was  on 
the  centre  of  the  mantel.  The  debris  of  the 
candelabra  had  been  removed. 

"Where  is  ...  Monsieur  le  Baron?" 
stammered  Charles. 

"That's  so!"  exclaimed  the  officer,  "where 
is  the  victim?" 

He  approached  the  bed,  and  drew  aside  a 
large  sheet,  under  which  reposed  the  Baron 
d'Hautrec,  formerly  French  Ambassador  at 
Berlin.  Over  him,  lay  his  military  coat, 
adorned  with  the  Cross  of  Honor.  His  fea 
tures  were  calm.  His  eyes  were  closed. 

"Some  one  has  been  here,"  said  Charles. 

"How  did  they  get  in?" 


56  ARSENE     LUPIN 

"I  don't  know,  but  some  one  has  been  here 
during  my  absence.  There  was  a  stiletto 
on  the  floor — there!  And  a  handkerchief, 
stained  with  blood,  on  the  bed.  They  are  not 
here  now.  They  have  been  carried  away. 
And  some  one  has  put  the  room  in  order." 

"Who  would  do  that!" 

"The  assassin." 

"But  we  found  all  the  doors  locked." 

"He  must  have  remained  in  the  house." 

"Then  he  must  be  here  yet,  as  you  were 
in  front  of  the  house  all  the  time." 

Charles  reflected  a  moment,  then  said, 
slowly : 

"Yes  .  .  .  of  course  .  .  .  I  didn't 
go  away  from  the  gate." 

"Who  was  the  last  person  you  saw  with 
the  baron?" 

"Mademoiselle  Antoinette,  his  secretary." 

' ' What  has  become  of  her !' ' 

"I  don't  know.  Her  bed  wasn't  occupied, 
so  she  must  have  gone  out.  I  am  not  sur 
prised  at  that,  as  she  is  young  and  pretty." 

"But  how  could  she  leave  the  house?" 

"By  the  door,"  said  Charles. 

"But  you  had  bolted  and  chained  it." 

"Yes,  but  she  must  have  left  before  that" 


VERSUS     HERLOCK     SHOLMES  57 


"And  the  crime  was  committed  after  her 
departure  ? ' ' 

"Of  course,"  said  the  servant. 

The  house  was  searched  from  cellar  to 
garret,  but  the  assassin  had  fled.  How?  And 
when !  Was  it  he  or  an  accomplice  who  had 
returned  to  the  scene  of  the  crime  and  re 
moved  everything  that  might  furnish  a  clue 
to  his  identity?  Such  were  the  questions  the 
police  were  called  upon  to  solve. 

The  coroner  came  at  seven  o'clock;  and, 
at  eight  o'clock,  Mon.  Dudouis,  the  head  of 
the  detective  service,  arrived  on  the  scene. 
They  were  followed  by  the  Procureur  of  the 
Eepublic  and  the  investigating  magistrate. 
In  addition  to  these  officials,  the  house  was 
overrun  with  policemen,  detectives,  news 
paper  reporters,  photographers,  and  rela 
tives  and  acquaintances  of  the  murdered 
man. 

A  thorough  search  was  made ;  they  studied 
out  the  position  of  the  corpse  according  to 
the  information  furnished  by  Charles;  they 
questioned  Sister  Auguste  when  she  arrived ; 
but  they  discovered  nothing  new.  Sister 
Auguste  was  astonished  to  learn  of  the  dis 
appearance  of  Antoinette  Brehat.  She  had 
engaged  the  young  girl  twelve  days  before, 


ARSENE     LUPIN 


on  excellent  recommendations,  and  refused  to 
believe  that  she  would  neglect  her  duty  by 
leaving  the  house  during  the  night. 

"But,  you  see,  she  hasn't  returned  yet," 
said  the  magistrate,  "and  we  are  still  con 
fronted  with  the  question  :  What  has  become 
of  her!" 

"I  think  she  was  abducted  by  the  as 
sassin,"  said  Charles. 

The  theory  was  plausible,  and  was  borne 
out  by  certain  facts.  Mon.  Dudouis  agreed 
with  it.  He  said: 

"Abducted!  ma  foi!  that  is  not  im 
probable.  '  ' 

"Not  only  improbable,"  said  a  voice,  "but 
absolutely  opposed  to  the  facts.  There  is  not 
a  particle  of  evidence  to  support  such  a 
theory.  '  ' 

The  voice  was  harsh,  the  accent  sharp,  and 
no  one  was  surprised  to  learn  that  the 
speaker  was  Ganimard.  In  no  one  else, 
would  they  tolerate  such  a  domineering  tone, 

"Ah!  it  is  you,  Ganimard!"  exclaimed 
Mon.  Dudouis.  "I  had  not  seen  you  before." 

"I  have  been  here  since  two  o'clock." 

"So  you  are  interested  in  some  things  out 
side  of  lottery  ticket  number  514,  the  affair 


VERSUS    HERLOCK     SHOLMES 


of  the  rue  Clapeyron,  the  blonde  lady  and 
Arsene  Lupin  ?" 

"Ha-ha!"  laughed  the  veteran  detective. 
"I  would  not  say  that  Lupin  is  a  stranger  to 
the  present  case.  But  let  us  forget  the  affair 
of  the  lottery  ticket  for  a  few  moments,  and 

try  to  unravel  this  new  mystery." 

***** 

Ganimard  is  not  one  of  those  celebrated  de 
tectives  whose  methods  will  create  a  school, 
or  whose  name  will  be  immortalized  in  the 
criminal  annals  of  his  country.  He  is  devoid 
of  those  flashes  of  genius  which  characterize 
the  work  of  Dupin,  Lecoq  and  Sherlock 
Holmes.  Yet,  it  must  be  admitted,  he  pos 
sesses  superior  qualities  of  observation,  sa 
gacity,  perseverance  and  even  intuition.  His 
merit  lies  in  his  absolute  independence.  Noth 
ing  troubles  or  influences  him,  except,  perhaps, 
a  sort  of  fascination  that  Arsene  Lupin  holds 
over  him.  However  that  may  be,  there  is  no 
doubt  that  his  position  on  that  morning,  in 
the  house  of  the  late  Baron  d'Hautrec,  was 
one  of  undoubted  superiority,  and  his  col 
laboration  in  the  case  was  appreciated  and 
desired  by  the  investigating  magistrate. 

"In  the  first  place,"  said  Ganimard,  "I 
will  ask  Monsieur  Charles  to  be  very  par- 


ARSENE    LUPIN 


ticular  on  one  point:  He  says  that,  on  the 
occasion  of  his  first  visit  to  the  room,  various 
articles  of  furniture  were  overturned  and 
strewn  about  the  place;  now,  I  ask  him 
whether,  on  his  second  visit  to  the  room,  he 
found  all  those  articles  restored  to  their  ac 
customed  places  —  I  mean,  of  course,  correctly 
placed.  '  ' 

"Yes,  all  in  their  proper  places/'  replied 
Charles. 

"It  is  obvious,  then,  that  the  person  who 
replaced  them  must  have  been  familiar  with 
the  location  of  those  articles.  '  9 

The  logic  of  this  remark  was  apparent  to 
his  hearers.  Ganimard  continued: 

"One  more  question,  Monsieur  Charles. 
You  were  awakened  by  the  ringing  of  your 
bell.  Now,  who,  do  you  think,  rang  it  !  " 

"Monsieur  le  baron,  of  course." 

"When  could  he  ring  it?" 

"After  the  struggle  .  .  .  when  he  was 
dying." 

"Impossible;  because  you  found  him  lying, 
unconscious,  at  a  point  more  than  foul- 
metres  from  the  bell-button." 

"Then  he  must  have  rung  during  the 
struggle.  '  ' 

"Impossible,"  declared  Ganimard,  "since 


VERSUS    HERLOCK     SHOLMES  61 

the  ringing,  as  you  have  said,  was  continu 
ous  and  uninterrupted,  and  lasted  seven  or 
eight  seconds.  Do  you  think  his  antagonist 
would  have  permitted  him  to  ring  the  bell  in 
that  leisurely  manner  ? ' ' 

"Well,  then,  it  was  before  the  attack." 

"Also,  quite  impossible,  since  you  have 
told  us  that  the  lapse  of  time  between  the 
ringing  of  the  bell  and  your  entrance  to  the 
room  was  not  more  than  three  minutes. 
Therefore,  if  the  baron  rang  before  the  at 
tack,  we  are  forced  to  the  conclusion  that 
the  struggle,  the  murder  and  the  flight  of  the 
assassin,  all  occurred  within  the  short  space 
of  three  minutes.  I  repeat:  that  is  impos 
sible." 

"And  yet,"  said  the  magistrate,  "some 
one  rang.  If  it  were  not  the  baron,  who  was 
it!" 

"The  murderer." 

"For  what  purpose?" 

"I  do  not  know.  But  the  fact  that  he  did 
ring  proves  that  he  knew  that  the  bell  com 
municated  with  the  servant's  room.  Now, 
who  would  know  that,  except  an  inmate  of  the 
house?" 

Ganimard  was  drawing  the  meshes  of  his 
net  closer  and  tighter.  In  a  few  clear  and 


62  ARSENE     LUPIN 

logical  sentences,  lie  had  unfolded  and  de 
fined  his  theory  of  the  crime,  so  that  it 
seemed  quite  natural  when  the  magistrate 
said: 

"As  I  understand  it,  Ganimard,  you 
suspect  the  girl  Antoinette  Brehat?" 

"I  do  not  suspect  her;  I  accuse  her." 

"You  accuse  her  of  being  an  accomplice ?" 

"I  accuse  her  of  having  killed  Baron 
d'Hautrec." 

*  '  Nonsense !    What  proof  have  you  f ' ' 

"The  handful  of  hair  I  found  in  the  right 
hand  of  the  victim." 

He  produced  the  hair ;  it  was  of  a  beautiful 
blond  color,  and  glittered  like  threads  of  gold. 
Charles  looked  at  it,  and  said : 

"That  is  Mademoiselle  Antoinette's  hair. 
There  can  be  no  doubt  of  it.  And,  then,  there 
is  another  thing.  I  believe  that  the  knife, 
which  I  saw  on  my  first  visit  to  the  room,  be 
longed  to  her.  She  used  it  to  cut  the  leaves 
of  books." 

A  long,  dreadful  silence  followed,  as  if  the 
crime  had  acquired  an  additional  horror  by 
reason  of  having  been  committed  by  a  woman. 
At  last,  the  magistrate  said : 

"Let  us  assume,  until  we  are  better  in 
formed,  that  the  baron  was  killed  by  An- 


VERSUS     IIERLOCK     SHOLMES 


63 


toinette  Brehat.  We  have  yet  to  learn 
where  she  concealed  herself  after  the  crime, 
how  she  managed  to  return  after  Charles 
left  the  house,  and  how  she  made  her  escape 
after  the  arrival  of  the  police.  Have  you 
formed  any  opinion  on  those  points  Gani- 
mard?" 
"None." 

"Well,  then,  where  do  we  stand?" 
Ganimard  was  embarrassed.    Finally,  with 
a  visible  effort,  he  said : 

"All  I  can  say  is  that  I  find  in  this  case  the 
same  method  of  procedure  as  we  found  in  the 
affair  of  the  lottery  ticket  number  514;  the 
same  phenomena,  which  might  be  termed  the 
faculty  of  disappearing.  Antoinette  Brehat 
has  appeared  and  disappeared  in  this  house 
as  mysteriously  as  Arsene  Lupin  entered  the 
house  of  Monsieur  Detinan  and  escaped 
therefrom  in  the  company  of  the  blonde  lady. 
"Does  that  signify  anything?" 
"It  does  to  me.  I  can  see  a  probable  con 
nection  between  those  two  strange  incidents. 
Antoinette  Brehat  was  hired  by  Sister 
Auguste  twelve  days  ago,  that  is  to  say,  on 
the  day  after  the  blonde  Lady  so  cleverly 
slipped  through  my  fingers.  In  the  second 
place,  the  hair  of  the  blonde  Lady  was  ex- 


64  ARSENE     LUPItf 

actly  of  the  same  brilliant  golden  hue  as  the 
hair  found  in  this  case." 

"So  that,  in  your  opinion,  Antoinette 
Brehat—  " 

"Is  the  blonde  Lady — precisely. " 

"And  that  Lupin  had  a  hand  in  both 
cases!" 

"Yes,  that  is  my  opinion." 

This  statement  was  greeted  with  an  out 
burst  of  laughter.  It  came  from  Mon.  Du- 
douis. 

"Lupin!  always  Lupin!  Lupin  is  into 
everything;  Lupin  is  everywhere!" 

' '  Yes,  Lupin  is  into  everything  of  any  con 
sequence,"  replied  Ganimard,  vexed  at  the 
ridicule  of  his  superior. 

"Well,  so  far  as  I  see,"  observed  Mon. 
Dudouis,  "you  have  not  discovered  any 
motive  for  this  crime.  The  secretary  was  not 
broken  into,  nor  the  pocketbook  carried 
away.  Even,  a  pile  of  gold  was  left  upon  the 
table." 

"Yes,  that  is  so,"  exclaimed  Ganimard, 
"but  the  famous  diamond!" 

"What  diamond?" 

"The  blue  diamond!  The  celebrated  dia 
mond  which  formed  part  of  the  royal  crown 
of  France,  and  which  was  given  by  the  Duke 


VERSUS     HERLOCK     SHOLMES  65 

d'Aumale  to  Leonide  Lebrun,  and,  at  the 
death  of  Leonide  Lebrun,  was  purchased  by 
the  Baron  d'Hautrec  as  a  souvenir  of  the 
charming  comedienne  that  he  had  loved  so 
well.  That  is  one  of  those  things  that  an  old 
Parisian,  like  I,  does  not  forget." 

4 'It  is  obvious  that  if  the  blue  diamond  is 
not  found,  the  motive  for  the  crime  is  dis 
closed,"  said  the  magistrate.  But  where 
should  we  search  for  it?" 

4 'On  the  baron's  finger,"  replied  Charles. 
"He  always  wore  the  blue  diamond  on  his 
left  hand." 

"I  saw  that  hand,  and  there  was  only  a 
plain  gold  ring  on  it,"  said  Ganimard,  as  he 
approached  the  corpse. 

"Look  in  the  palm  of  the  hand,"  replied 
the  servant. 

Ganimard  opened  the  stiffened  hand.  The 
bezel  was  turned  inward,  and,  in  the  centre 
of  that  bezel,  the  blue  diamond  shone  with  all 
its  glorious  splendor. 

"The  deuce!"  muttered  Ganimard,  ab 
solutely  amazed,  "I  don't  understand  it." 

' '  You  will  now  apologize  to  Lupin  for  hav 
ing  suspected  him,  eh?"  said  Mon.  Dudouis, 
laughing. 

Ganimard  paused  for  a  moment's  reflec- 


ARSENE     LUPIN 


tion,  and  then  replied,  sententicmsly : 

"It  is  only  when  I  do  not  understand 
things  that  I  suspect  Arsene  Lupin." 

Such  were  the  facts  established  by  the  po 
lice  on  the  day  after  the  commission  of  that 
mysterious  crime.  Facts  that  were  vague 
and  incoherent  in  themselves,  and  which 
were  not  explained  by  any  subsequent  dis 
coveries.  The  movements  of  Antoinette  Bre- 
hat  remained  as  inexplicable  as  those  of  the 
blonde  Lady,  and  the  police  discovered  no 
trace  of  that  mysterious  creature  with  the 
golden  hair  who  had  killed  Baron  d'Hautrec 
and  had  failed  to  take  from  his  finger  the 
famous  diamond  that  had  once  shone  in  the 

royal  crown  of  France. 

***** 

The  heirs  of  the  Baron  d'Hautrec  could 
not  fail  to  benefit  by  such  notoriety.  They 
established  in  the  house  an  exhibition  of  the 
furniture  and  other  objects  which  were  to  be 
sold  at  the  auction  rooms  of  Drouot  &  Co. 
Modern  furniture  of  indifferent  taste,  vari 
ous  objects  of  no  artistic  value  .  .  .  but, 
in  the  centre  of  the  room,  in  a  case  of  purple 
velvet,  protected  by  a  glass  globe,  and 
guarded  by  two  officers,  was  the  famous  blue 
diamond  ring. 


VERSUS     HERLOCK     SHOLMES 


67 


A  large  magnificent  diamond  of  incom 
parable  purity,  and  of  that  indefinite  blue 
which  the  clear  water  receives  from  an  un 
clouded  sky,  of  that  blue  which  can  be  de 
tected  in  the  whiteness  of  linen.  Some  ad 
mired,  some  enthused  .  .  .  and  some 
looked  with  horror  on  the  chamber  of  the  vic 
tim,  on  the  spot  where  the  corpse  had  lain, 
on  the  floor  divested  of  its  blood-stained  car 
pet,  and  especially  the  walls,  the  unsur- 
mountable  walls  over  which  the  criminal 
must  have  passed.  Some  assured  themselves 
that  the  marble  mantel  did  not  move,  others 
imagined  gaping  holes,  mouths  of  tunnels, 
secret  connections  with  the  sewers,  and  the 
catacombs— 

The  sale  of  the  blue  diamond  took  place  at 
the  salesroom  of  Drouot  &  Co.  The  place  was 
crowded  to  suffocation,  and  the  bidding  was 
carried  to  the  verge  of  folly.  The  sale  was 
attended  by  all  those  who  usually  appear  at 
similar  events  in  Paris;  those  who  buy,  and 
those  who  make  a  pretense  of  being  able  to 
buy;  bankers,  brokers,  artists,  women  of  all 
classes,  two  cabinet  ministers,  an  Italian 
tenor,  an  exiled  king  who,  in  order  to  main 
tain  his  credit,  bid,  with  much  ostentation, 
and  in  a  loud  voice,  as  high  as  one  hundred 


68  ARSENE     LUPIN 

thousand  francs.  One  hundred  thousand 
francs !  He  could  offer  that  sum  without  any 
danger  of  his  bid  being  accepted.  The  Italian 
tenor  risked  one  hundred  and  fifty  thousand, 
and  a  member  of  the  Comedie-Francaise  bid 
one  hundred  and  seventy-five  thousand 
francs. 

When  the  bidding  reached  two  hundred 
thousand  francs,  the  smaller  competitors  fell 
out  of  the  race.  At  two  hundred  and  fifty 
thousand,  only  two  bidders  remained  in  the 
field :  Herschrnann,  the  well-known  capitalist, 
the  king  of  gold  mines ;  and  the  Countess  de 
Crozon,  the  wealthy  American,  whose  collec 
tion  of  diamonds  and  precious  stones  is 
famed  throughout  the  world. 

"Two  hundred  and  sixty  thousand 
.  .  .  two  hundred  and  seventy  thousand 
.  .  .  seventy-five  .  .  .  eighty"  .  .  . 
exclaimed  the  auctioneer,  as  he  glanced  at  the 
two  competitors  in  succession.  "Two 
hundred  and  eighty  thousand  for  madame 
.  .  .  Do  I  hear  any  more!" 

"Three  hundred  thousand, "  said  Hersch- 
mann. 

There  was  a  short  silence.  The  countess 
was  standing,  smiling,  but  pale  from  excite 
ment.  She  was  leaning  against  the  back  of 


VERSUS     HERLOCK     SHOLMES  69 

the  chair  in  front  of  her.  She  knew,  and  so 
did  everyone  present,  that  the  issue  of  the 
duel  was  certain ;  logically,  inevitably,  it  must 
terminate  to  the  advantage  of  the  capitalist, 
who  had  untold  millions  with  which  to  in 
dulge  his  caprices.  However,  the  countess 
made  another  bid: 

"Three  hundred  and  five  thousand. " 

Another  silence.  All  eyes  were  now  di 
rected  to  the  capitalist  in  the  expectation  that 
he  would  raise  the  bidding.  But  Herschmann 
was  not  paying  any  attention  to  the  sale ;  his 
eyes  were  fixed  on  a  sheet  of  paper  which  he 
held  in  his  right  hand,  while  the  other  hand 
held  a  torn  envelope. 

"  Three  hundred  and  five  thousand, ".  re 
peated  the  auctioneer.  "Once!  . 
Twice!  .  .  .  For  the  last  time  *  ..  . 
Do  I  hear  any  more!  .  .  .  Once!  .  .  .. 
Twice!  .  .  .  Am  I  offered  any  more? 
Last  chance!  .  .  ." 

Herschmann  did  not  move. 

"Third  and  last  time!  .  .  .  Sold!  "ex 
claimed  the  auctioneer,  as  his  hammer  fell. 

"Four  hundred  thousand,"  cried  Hersch- 
man,  starting  up,  as  if  the  sound  of  the  ham 
mer  had  roused  him  from  his  stupor. 

Too  late;  the  auctioneer's  decision  was  ir- 


70  ARSENE    LUPIN 

revokable.  Some  of  Herschmann's  ac 
quaintances  pressed  around  him.  What  was 
the  matter?  Why  did  he  not  speak  sooner? 
He  laughed,  and  said: 

"Ma  foi!  I  simply  forgot — in  a  moment 
of  abstraction." 

"That  is  strange." 

"You  see,  I  just  received  a  letter." 

"And  that  letter  was  sufficient — " 

"To  distract  my  attention!  Yes,  for  a  mo 
ment.  ' ' 

Ganimard  was  there.  He  had  come  to  wit 
ness  the  sale  of  the  ring.  He  stopped  one 
of  the  attendants  of  the  auction  room,  and 
said : 

"Was  it  you  who  carried  the  letter  to  Mon 
sieur  Herschniann?" 

"Yes." 

"Who  gave  it  to  you!" 

"A  lady." 

"Where  is  she?" 

"Where  is  she?  .  .  .  She  was  sitting 
down  there  .  .  .  the  lady  who  wore  a 
thick  veil." 

"She  has  gone?" 

"Yes,  just  this  moment." 

Ganimard  hastened  to  the  door,  and  saw 
the  lady  descending  the  stairs.  He  ran  after 


VERSUS    HERLOCK     SHOLMES  71 

her.  A  crush  of  people  delayed  him  at  the 
entrance.  When  he  reached  the  sidewalk,  she 
had  disappeared.  He  returned  to  the  auction 
room,  accosted  Herschmann,  introduced  him 
self,  and  enquired  about  the  letter.  Hersch 
mann  handed  it  to  him.  It  was  carelessly 
scribbled  in  pencil,  in  a  handwriting  un 
known  to  the  capitalist,  and  contained  these 
few  words : 

"The  blue  diamond  brings  misfortune.  Re 
member  the  Baron  d'Hautrec." 

***** 

The  vicissitudes  of  the  blue  diamond  were 
not  yet  at  an  end.  Although  it  had  become 
well-known  through  the  murder  of  the  Baron 
d'Hautrec  and  the  incidents  at  the  auction- 
rooms,  it  was  six  months  later  that  it  attained 
even  greater  celebrity.  During  the  following 
summer,  the  Countess  de  Crozon  was  robbed 
of  the  famous  jewel  she  had  taken  so  much 
trouble  to  acquire. 

Let  me  recall  that  strange  affair,  of  which 
the  exciting  and  dramatic  incidents  sent  a 
thrill  through  all  of  us,  and  over  which  I  am 
now  permitted  to  throw  some  light. 

On  the  evening  of  August  10,  the  guests  of 
the  Count  and  .Countess  de  Crozon  were  as 
sembled  in  the  drawing-room  of  the  mag- 


72  ARSfiNE    LUPIN" 

nificent  chateau  which  overlooks  the  Bay  de 
Somme.  To  entertain  her  friends,  the 
countess  seated  herself  at  the  piano  to  play 
for  them,  after  first  placing  her  jewels  on  a 
small  table  near  the  piano,  and,  amongst 
them,  was  the  ring  of  the  Baron  d'Hautrec. 

An  hour  later,  the  count  and  the  majority 
of  the  guests  retired,  including  his  two 
cousins  and  Madame  de  Eeal,  an  intimate 
friend  of  the  countess.  The  latter  remained 
in  the  drawing-room  with  Herr  Bleichen,  the 
Austrian  consul,  and  his  wife. 

They  conversed  for  a  time,  and  then  the 
countess  extinguished  the  large  lamp  that 
stood  on  a  table  in  the  centre  of  the  room.  At 
the  same  moment,  Herr  Bleichen  extinguished 
the  two  piano  lamps.  There  was  a  momen 
tary  darkness;  then  the  consul  lighted  a 
candle,  and  the  three  of  them  retired  to  their 
rooms.  But,  as  soon  as  she  reached  her 
apartment,  the  countess  remembered  her 
jewels  and  sent  her  maid  to  get  them.  When 
the  maid  returned  with  the  jewels,  she  placed 
them  on  the  mantel  without  the  countess  look 
ing  at  them.  Next  day,  Madame  de  Crozon 
found  that  one  of  her  rings  was  missing;  it 
was  the  blue  diamond  ring. 

She  informed  her  husband,  and,  after  talk- 


VERSUS     HERLOCK     SHOLMES 


73 


ing  it  over,  they  reached  the  conclusion  that 
the  maid  was  above  suspicion,  and  that  the 
guilty  party  must  be  Herr  Bleichen. 

The  count  notified  the  commissary  of  po 
lice  at  Amiens,  who  commenced  an  investiga 
tion  and,  discreetly,  exercised  a  strict  surveil 
lance  over  the  Austrian  consul  to  prevent  his 
disposing  of  the  ring. 

The  chateau  was  surrounded  by  detectives 
day  and  night.  Two  weeks  passed  without 
incident.  Then  Herr  Bleichen  announced  his 
intended  departure.  That  day,  a  formal  com 
plaint  was  entered  against  him.  The  police 
made  an  official  examination  of  his  luggage. 
In  a  small  satchel,  the  key  to  which  was  al 
ways  carried  by  the  consul  himself,  they 
found  a  bottle  of  dentifrice,  and  in  that  bot 
tle  they  found  the  ring. 

Madame  Bleichen  fainted.  Her  husband 
was  placed  under  arrest. 

Everyone  will  remember  the  line  of  de 
fense  adopted  by  the  accused  man.  He  de 
clared  that  the  ring  must  have  been  placed 
there  by  the  Count  de  Crozen  as  an  act  of 
revenge.  He  said: 

"The  count  is  brutal  and  makes  his  wife 
very  unhappy.  She  consulted  me,  and  I  ad 
vised  her  to  get  a  divorce.  The  count  heard 


74  ABSENE    LUPIN 

of  it  in  some  way,  and,  to  be  revenged  on  rne, 
he  took  the  ring  and  placed  it  in  my  satchel." 

The  count  and  countess  persisted  in  press 
ing  the  charge.  Between  the  explanation 
which  they  gave  and  that  of  the  consul,  both 
equally  possible  and  equally  probable,  the 
public  had  to  choose.  No  new  fact  was  dis 
covered  to  turn  the  scale  in  either  direction. 
A  month  of  gossip,  conjectures  and  investi 
gations  failed  to  produce  a  single  ray  of 
light. 

Wearied  of  the  excitement  and  notoriety, 
and  incapable  of  securing  the  evidence  neces 
sary  to  sustain  their  charge  against  the  con 
sul,  the  count  and  countess  at  last  sent  to 
Paris  for  a  detective  competent  to  unravel 
the  tangled  threads  of  this  mysterious  skein. 
This  brought  Ganimard  into  the  case. 

For  four  days,  the  veteran  detective 
searched  the  house  from  top  to  bottom,  ex 
amined  every  foot  of  the  ground,  had  long 
conferences  with  the  maid,  the  chauffeur,  the 
gardeners,  the  employees  in  the  neighboring 
post-offices,  visited  the  rooms  that  had  been 
occupied  by  the  various  guests.  Then,  one 
morning,  he  disappeared  without  taking 
leave  of  his  host  or  hostess.  But  a  week  later, 
they  received  this  telegram: 


VERSUS     HERLOCK     SHOLMES 


75 


"Please  coine  to  the  Japanese  Tea-room, 
rue  Boissy  d'Anglas,  tomorrow,  Friday, 

evening  at  five  o'clock.    Ganimard." 

*  *  *        '   *  * 

At  five  o  'clock,  Friday  evening,  their  auto 
mobile  stopped  in  front  of  number  nine  rue 
Boissy-d'Anglas.  The  old  detective  was 
standing  on  the  sidewalk,  waiting  for  them. 
Without  a  word,  he  conducted  them  to  the 
first  floor  of  the  Japanese  Tea-room.  In  one 
of  the  rooms,  they  met  two  men,  whom  Gani- 
mard  introduced  in  these  words: 

4 'Monsieur  Gerbois,  professor  in  the  Col 
lege  of  Versailles,  from  whom,  you  will  re 
member,  Arsene  Lupin  stole  half  a  million; 
Monsieur  Leonce  d'Hautrec,  nephew  and  sole 
legatee  of  the  Baron  d'Hautrec." 

A  few  minutes  later,  another  man  arrived. 
It  was  Mon.  Dudouis,  head  of  the  detective 
service,  and  he  appeared  to  be  in  a  particu 
larly  bad  temper.  He  bowed,  and  then  said: 

"What's  the  trouble  now,  Ganimard!  I 
received  your  telephone  message  asking  me 
to  come  here.  Is  it  anything  of  conse 
quence  ? ' ' 

' k  Yes,  chief,  it  is  a  very  important  matter. 
Within  an  hour,  the  last  two  cases  to  which 
I  was  assigned  will  have  their  denouement 


76  ARSENE    LUPIX 

here.  It  seemed  to  me  that  your  presence  was 
indispensable." 

"And  also  the  presence  of  Dieuzy  and 
Folenfant,  whom  I  noticed  standing  near  the 
door  as  I  came  in!" 

"Yes,  chief." 

"For  what!  Are  you  going  to  make  an 
arrest,  and  you  wish  to  do  it  with  a  flourish ! 
Come,  Ganimard,  I  am  anxious  to  hear  about 
it." 

Ganimard  hesitated  a  moment,  then  spoke 
with  the  obvious  intention  of  making  an  im 
pression  on  his  hearers : 

"In  the  first  place,  I  wish  to  state  that 
Herr  Bleichen  had  nothing  to  do  with  the 
theft  of  the  ring." 

"Oh!  oh!"  exclaimed  Mon.  Dudouis,  "that 
is  a  bold  statement  and  a  very  serious  one." 

"And  is  that  all  you  have  discovered?" 
asked  the  Count  de  Crozon. 

"Not  at  all.  On  the  second  day  after 
the  theft,  three  of  your  guests  went  on  an 
automobile  trip  as  far  as  Crecy.  Two  of  them 
visited  the  famous  battle-field;  and,  while 
they  were  there,  the  third  party  paid  a  hasty 
visit  to  the  post-office,  and  mailed  a  small 
box,  tied  and  sealed  according  to  the  regula- 


VERSUS     HERLOCK     SHOLMES  77 

tions,    and    declared    its    value    to    be    one 
hundred  francs." 

* 'I  see  nothing  strange  in  that,"  said  the 
count. 

"  Perhaps  you  will  see  something  strange 
in  it  when  I  tell  you  that  this  person,  in  place 
of  giving  her  true  name,  sent  the  box  under 
the  name  of  Eousseau,  and  the  person  to 
whom  it  was  addressed,  a  certain  Monsieur 
Beloux  of  Paris,  moved  his  place  of  residence 
immediately  after  receiving  the  box,  in  other 
words,  the  ring." 

"I  presume  you  refer  to  one  of  my  cousins 
d'Andelle!" 

"No,"  replied  Ganimard. 

"Madame  de  Real,  then?" 

"Yes." 

"You  accuse  my  friend,  Madam  de  Real?" 
cried  the  countess,  shocked  and  amazed. 

"I  wish  to  ask  you  one  question,  madame," 
said  Ganimard.  "Was  Madam  de  Real 
present  when  you  purchased  the  ring?" 

* '  Yes,  but  we  did  not  go  there  together. ' ' 

"Did  she  advise  you  to  buy  the  ring?" 

The  countess  considered  for  a  moment, 
then  said: 

"Yes,  I  think  she  mentioned  it  first — " 
Thank    you,    madame.      Your    answer 


i  i 


78  ARSENE     LUPIN 

establishes  the  fact  that  it  was  Madame  de 
Real  who  was  the  first  to  mention  the  ring, 
and  it  was  she  who  advised  you  to  buy  it." 

"But,  I  consider  my  friend  is  quite  in 
capable — " 

"Pardon  me,  countess,  when  I  remind  you 
that  Madame  de  Eeal  is  only  a  casual  ac 
quaintance  and  not  your  intimate  friend,  as 
the  newspapers  have  announced.  It  was  only 
last  winter  that  you  met  her  for  the  first 
time.  Now,  I  can  prove  that  everything  she 
has  told  you  about  herself,  her  past  life,  and 
her  relatives,  is  absolutely  false;  that 
Madame  Blanche  de  Real  had  no  actual  ex 
istence  before  she  met  you,  and  she  has  now 
ceased  to  exist." 

"Well!" 

"Well?"  replied  Ganimard. 

"Your  story  is  a  very  strange  one,"  said 
the  countess,  "but  it  has  no  application  to 
our  case.  If  Madame  de  Real  had  taken  the 
ring,  how  do  you  explain  the  fact  that  it  was 
found  in  Herr  Bleichen's  tooth-powder? 
Anyone  who  would  take  the  risk  and  trouble 
of  stealing  the  blue  diamond  would  certainly 
keep  it.  What  do  you  say  to  that?" 

"I — nothing — but  Madame  de  Real  will 
answer  it." 


VERSUS    HERLOCK     SHOLMES  79 

"Oh!  she  does  exist,  then!" 

44  She  does — and  does  not.  I  will  explain 
in  a  few  words.  Three  days  ago,  while  read 
ing  a  newspaper,  I  glanced  over  the  list  of 
hotel  arrivals  at  Trouvilie,  and  there  I  read : 
'Hotel  Beaurivage — Madame  de  Real,  etc.' 
I  went  to  Trouvilie  immediately,  and  inter 
viewed  the  proprietor  of  the  hotel. 

From  the  description  and  other  informa 
tion  I  received  from  him,  I  concluded  that  she 
was  the  very  Madame  de  Real  that  I  was 
seeking ;  but  she  had  left  the  hotel,  giving  her 
address  in  Paris  as  number  three  rue  de 
Colisee.  The  day  before  yesterday  I  went  to 
that  address,  and  learned  that  there  was  no 
person  there  called  Madame  de  Real,  but 
there  was  a  Madame  Real,  living  on  the  sec 
ond  floor,  who  acted  as  a  diamond  broker  and 
was  frequently  away  from  home.  She  had  re 
turned  from  a  journey  on  the  preceding  even 
ing.  Yesterday,  I  called  on  her  and,  under  an 
assumed  name,  I  offered  to  act  as  an  inter 
medium  in  the  sale  of  some  diamonds  to  cer 
tain  wealthy  friends  of  mine.  She  is  to  meet 
me  here  today  to  carry  out  that  arrange 
ment." 

' '  What !  You  expect  her  to  come  here  ! ' ' 

"  Yes,  at  half-past  five." 


80  ARSENE    LUPIN 

i '  Are  you  sure  it  is  she  ? ' ' 

"Madame  de  Beal  of  the  Chateau  de  Cro- 
zon?  Certainly.  I  have  convincing  evidence 
of  that  fact.  But  ...  listen!  ...  I 
hear  Folenf ant's  signal." 

It  was  a  whistle.    Ganimard  arose  quickly. 

"There  is  no  time  to  lose.  Monsieur  and 
Madame  de  Crozon,  will  you  be  kind  enough 
to  go  into  the  next  room.  You  also,  Monsieur 
d'Hautrec,  and  you,  Monsieur  Gerbois.  The 
door  will  remain  open,  and  when  I  give  the 
signal,  you  will  come  out.  Of  course,  Chief, 
you  will  remain  here." 

"We  may  be  disturbed  by  other  people," 
said  Mon.  Dudouis. 

1 1  No.  This  is  a  new  establishment,  and  the 
proprietor  is  one  of  my  friends.  He  will  not 
let  anyone  disturb  us — except  the  blonde 
Lady." 

t '  The  blonde  Lady !    What  do  you  mean  ! ' ' 

"Yes,  the  blonde  Lady  herself,  chief;  the 
friend  and  accomplice  of  Arsene  Lupin,  the 
mysterious  blonde  Lady  against  whom  I  hold 
convincing  evidence ;  but,  in  addition  to  that, 
I  wish  to  confront  her  with  all  the  people  she 
has  robbed. ' ' 

He  looked  through  the  window. 

"I  see  her.    She  is  coming  in  the  door  now. 


VERSUS     IIERLOCK     SHOLMES  81 

She  can't  escape:  Folenfant  and  Dieuzy  are 
guarding  the  door  .  .  .  The  blonde  Lady 
is  captured  at  last,  Chief!" 

A  moment  later  a  woman  appeared  at  the 
door;  she  was  tall  and  slender,  with  a  very 
pale  complexion  and  bright  golden  hair.  Gani- 
mard  trembled  with  excitement ;  he  could  not 
move,  nor  utter  a  word.  She  was  there,  in 
front  of  him,  at  his  mercy !  What  a  victory 
over  Arsene  Lupin!  And  what  a  revenge! 
And,  at  the  same  time,  the  victory  was  such 
an  easy  one  that  he  asked  himself  if  the 
blonde  Lady  would  not  yet  slip  through  his 
fingers  by  one  of  those  miracles  that  usually 
terminated  the  exploits  of  Arsene  Lupin.  She 
remained  standing  near  the  door,  surprised  at 
the  silence,  and  looked  about  her  without  any 
display  of  suspicion  or  fear. 

'  •  She  will  get  away !  She  will  disappear ! ' ' 
thought  Ganimard. 

Then  he  managed  to  get  between  her  and 
the  door.  She  turned  to  go  out. 

"No,  no!"  he  said.  "Why  are  you  going 
away?" 

"Really,  monsieur,  I  do  not  understand 
what  this  means.  Allow  me — " 

"There  is  no  reason  why  you  should  go, 


ARSEXE     LUPIN 

madame,  and  very  good  reasons  why  you 
should  remain. " 

"But—  " 

"It  is  useless,  madame.    You  cannot  go." 

Trembling,  she  sat  on  a  chair,  and  stam 
mered  : 

i '  What  is  it  you  want !" 

Ganimard  had  won  the  battle  and  captured 
the  blonde  Lady.  He  said  to  her : 

"  Allow  me  to  present  the  friend  I  men 
tioned,  who  desires  to  purchase  some  dia 
monds.  Have  you  procured  the  stones  you 
promised  to  bring f " 

"No — no — I  don't  know.  I  don't  remem 
ber." 

"Come!  Jog  your  memory!  A  person 
of  your  acquaintance  intended  to  send  you  a 
tinted  stone.  .  .  .  '  Something  like  the  blue 
diamond,'  I  said,  laughing;  and  you  replied: 
4  Exactly,  I  expect  to  have  just  what  you 
want.'  Do  you  remember?" 

She  made  no  reply.  A  small  satchel  fell 
from  her  hand.  She  picked  it  up  quickly, 
and  held  it  securely.  Her  hands  trembled 
slightly. 

"Come!"  said  Ganimard,  "I  see  you  have 
no  confidence  in  us,  Madame  de  Real.  I  shall 


VERSUS     HERLOCK     SHOLMES  83 

set  you  a  good  example  by  showing  you  what 
I  have." 

He  took  from  his  pocketbook  a  paper  which 
he  unfolded,  and  disclosed  a  lock  of  hair. 

*  *  These  are  a  few  hairs  torn  from  the  head 
of  Antoinette  Brehat  by  the  Baron  d'Hautrec, 
which  I  found  clasped  in  his  dead  hand.  I 
have  shown  them  to  Mile.  Gerbois,  who  de 
clares  they  are  of  the  exact  color  of  the  hair 
of  the  blonde  Lady.  Besides,  they  are  exactly 
the  color  of  your  hair — the  identical  color. ' ' 

Madame  Real  looked  at  him  in  bewilder 
ment,  as  if  she  did  not  understand  his  mean 
ing.  He  continued : 

"And  here  are  two  perfume  bottles,  with 
out  labels,  it  is  true,  and  empty,  but  still  suf 
ficiently  impregnated  with  their  odor  to 
enable  Mile.  Gerbois  to  recognize  in  them  the 
perfume  used  by  that  blonde  Lady  who  was 
her  traveling  companion  for  two  weeks.  Now, 
one  of  these  bottles  was  found  in  the  room 
that  Madame  de  Real  occupied  at  the  chateau 
de  Crozon,  and  the  other  in  the  room  that  you 
occupied  at  the  Hotel  Beaurivage." 

"What  do  you  say?  ...  The  blonde 
Lady  .  .  .  the  chateau  de  Crozon.  .  .  .  " 

The  detective  did  not  reply.  He  took  from 
his  pocket  and  placed  on  the  table,  side  by 


84  ARSENE    LUPIN 

side,  four  small  sheets  of  paper.  Then  he 
said: 

' i  I  have,  on  these  four  pieces  of  paper,  vari 
ous  specimens  of  handwriting ;  the  first  is  the 
writing  of  Antoinette  Brehat ;  the  second  was 
written  by  the  woman  who  sent  the  note  to 
Baron  Herschmann  at  the  auction  sale  of  the 
blue  diamond ;  the  third  is  that  of  Madame  de 
Eeal,  written  while  she  was  stopping  at  the 
chateau  de  Crozon;  and  the  fourth  is  your 
handwriting,  madame  ...  it  is  your 
name  and  address,  which  you  gave  to  the 
porter  of  the  Hotel  Beaurivage  at  Trouville. 
Now,  compare  the  four  handwritings.  They 
are  identical." 

"What  absurdity  is  this?  Eeally,  mon 
sieur,  I  do  not  understand.  What  does  it 
mean!" 

"It  means,  madame,"  exclaimed  Ganimard, 
"that  the  blonde  Lady,  the  friend  and  ac 
complice  of  Arsene  Lupin,  is  none  other  than 
you,  Madame  Real." 

Ganimard  went  to  the  adjoining  room  and 
returned  with  Mon.  Gerbois,  whom  he  placed 
in  front  of  Madame  Eeal,  as  he  said : 

* t  Monsieur  Gerbois,  is  this  the  person  who 
abducted  your  daughter,  the  woman  you  saw 
at  the  house  of  Monsieur  Detinanf" 


VERSUS     HERLOCK     SHOLMES 


85 


"No." 

Ganimard  was  so  surprised  that  lie  could 
not  speak  for  a  moment ;  finally,  he  said : 

"No?     .     .     .    You    must    be    mistaken. 
>> 

"I  am  not  mistaken.  Madame  is  blonde, 
it  is  true,  and  in  that  respect  resembles  the 
blonde  Lady ;  but,  in  all  other  respects,  she  is 
totally  different. " 

"I  can't  believe  it.  You  must  be  mis 
taken." 

Ganimard  called  in  his  other  witnesses. 

"Monsieur  d'Hautrec,"  he  said,  "do  you 
recognize  Antoinette  Brehat?" 

"No,  this  is  not  the  person  I  saw  at  my 
uncle's  house." 

' '  This  woman  is  not  Madame  de  Real, ' '  de 
clared  the  Count  de  Crozon. 

That  was  the  finishing  touch.  Ganimard 
was  crushed.  He  was  buried  beneath  the 
ruins  of  the  structure  he  had  erected  with 
so  much  care  and  assurance.  His  pride  was 
humbled,  his  spirit  was  broken,  by  the  force 
of  this  unexpected  blow. 

Mon.  Dudouis  arose,  and  said: 

"We  owe  you  an  apology,  madame,  for  this 
unfortunate  mistake.  But,  since  your  ar 
rival  here,  I  have  noticed  your  nervous  agi- 


AESE^E     LUPIN 


tation.    Something  troubles  you;  may  I  ask 
what  it  is!" 

"Mon  Dieu,  monsieur,  I  was  afraid.  My 
satchel  contains  diamonds  to  the  value  of  a 
hundred  thousand  francs,  and  the  conduct  of 
your  friend  was  rather  suspicious." 

44  But  you  were  frequently  absent  from 
Paris.  How  do  you  explain  that?" 

"I  make  frequent  journeys  to  other  cities 
in  the  course  of  my  business.  That  is  all. ' ' 

Mon.  Dudouis  had  nothing  more  to  ask. 
He  turned  to  his  subordinate,  and  said : 

4 'Your  investigation  has  been  very  super 
ficial,  Ganimard,  and  your  conduct  toward 
this  lady  is  really  deplorable.  You  will  come 
to  my  office  tomorrow  and  explain  it." 

The  interview  was  at  an  end,  and  Mon.  Du 
douis  was  about  to  leave  the  room  when  a 
most  annoying  incident  occurred.  Madame 
Real  turned  to  Ganimard,  and  said: 

"I  understand  that  you  are  Monsieur  Gani 
mard.  Am  I  right!" 

"Yes." 

"Then,  this  letter  must  be  for  you.  I  re 
ceived  it  this  morning.  It  was  addressed  to 
'Mon.  Justin  Ganimard,  care  of  Madame 
Real/  I  thought  it  was  a  joke,  because  I  did 
not  know  you  under  that  name,  but  it  ap- 


VERSUS     HERLOCK     SHOLMES 


pears  that  your  unknown  correspondent 
knew  of  our  rendezvous.  '  ' 

Ganimard  was  inclined  to  put  the  letter  in 
Lis  pocket  unread,  but  he  dared  not  do  so  in 
the  presence  of  his  superior,  so  he  opened  the 
envelope  and  read  the  letter  aloud,  in  an  al 
most  inaudible  tone  : 

"Once  upon  a  time,  there  were  a  blonde 
Lady,  a  Lupin,  and  a  Ganimard.  Now,  the 
wicked  Ganimard  had  evil  designs  on  the 
pretty  blonde  Lady,  and  the  good  Lupin  was 
her  friend  and  protector.  When  the  good 
Lupin  wished  the  blonde  Lady  to  become  the 
friend  of  the  Countess  de  Crozon,  he  caused 
her  to  assume  the  name  of  Madame  de  Real, 
which  is  a  close  resemblance  to  the  name  of  a 
certain  diamond  broker,  a  woman  with  a  pale 
complexion  and  golden  hair.  And  the  good 
Lupin  said  to  himself:  If  ever  the  wicked 
Ganimard  gets  upon  the  track  of  the  blonde 
Lady,  how  useful  it  will  be  to  me  if  he  should 
be  diverted  to  the  track  of  the  honost  dia 
mond  broker.  A  wise  precaution  that  has 
borne  good  fruit.  A  little  note  sent  to  the 
newspaper  read  by  the  wicked  Ganimard,  a 
perfume  bottle  intentionally  forgotten  by  the 
genuine  blonde  Lady  at  the  Hotel  Beaurivage, 
the  name  and  address  of  Madame  Real  writ- 


88  ARSENE    LUPIN 

ten  on  the  hotel  register  by  the  genuine 
blonde  Lady,  and  the  trick  is  played.  What 
do  you  think  of  it,  Ganimard?  I  wished  to 
tell  you  the  true  story  of  this  affair,  knowing 
that  you  would  be  the  first  to  laugh  over  it. 
Really,  it  is  quite  amusing,  and  I  have  en 
joyed  it  very  much. 

"Accept  my  best  wishes,  dear  friend,  and 
give  my  kind  regards  to  the  worthy  Mon.  Du- 
douis.  " ARSENE  LUPIN." 

"He  knows  every  thing, "  muttered  Gani 
mard,  but  he  did  not  see  the  humor  of  the 
situation  as  Lupin  had  predicted.  "He 
knows  some  things  I  have  never  mentioned 
to  any  one.  How  could  he  find  out  that  I  was 
going  to  invite  you  here,  chief?  How  could  he 
know  that  I  had  found  the  first  perfume  bot 
tle?  How  could  he  find  out  those  things  ?" 

He  stamped  his  feet  and  tore  his  hair— 
a  prey  to  the  most  tragic  despair.  Mon.  Du- 
douis  felt  sorry  for  him,  and  said : 

"Come,  Ganimard,  never  mind;  try  to  do 
better  next  time." 

And  Mon.  Dudouis  left  the  room,  accom 
panied  by  Madame  Seal. 

***** 

During  the  next  ten  minutes,  Ganimard 
read  and  re-read  the  letter  of  Arsene  Lupin. 


VERSUS     HERLOCK     SHOLMES  89 

Monsieur  and  Madame  de  Crozon,  Monsieur 
d'Hautrec  and  Monsieur  Gerbois  were  hold 
ing  an  animated  discussion  in  a  corner  of  the 
room.  At  last,  the  count  approached  the  de 
tective,  and  said: 

; '  My  dear  monsieur  ,  after  your  investiga 
tion,  we  are  no  nearer  the  truth  than  we  were 
before.7' 

"Pardon  me,  but  my  investigation  has  es 
tablished  these  facts:  that  the  blonde  Lady 
is  the  mysterious  heroine  of  these  exploits, 
and  that  Arsene  Lupin  directed  them. ' ' 

" Those  facts  do  not  solve  the  mystery;  in 
fact,  they  render  it  more  obscure.  The  blonde 
Lady  commits  a  murder  in  order  to  steal  the 
blue  diamond,  and  yet  she  does  not  steal  it. 
Afterward  she  steals  it  and  gets  rid  of  it  by 
secretly  giving  it  to  another  person.  How  do 
you  explain  her  strange  conduct  1 ' ' 

' '  I  cannot  explain  it. ' ' 

"Of  course;  but,  perhaps,  someone  else 
can." 

"Who?" 

The  Count  hesitated,  so  the  Countess  re 
plied,  frankly: 

"There  is  only  one  man  besides  yourself 
who  is  competent  to  enter  the  arena  with 
Arsene  Lupin  and  overcome  him.  Have  you 


90  ARSENE     LUPIN 

any  objection  to  our  engaging  the  services  of 
Herlock  Sholmes  in  this  case!" 

Ganimard  was  vexed  at  the  question,  but 
stammered  a  reply: 

"No  .  .  .  but  ...  I  do  not  under 
stand  what— 

"Let  me  explain.  All  this  mystery  annoys 
me.  I  wish  to  have  it  cleared  up.  Monsieur 
Gerbois  and  Monsieur  d'Hautrec  have  the 
same  desire,  and  we  have  agreed  to  send  for 
the  celebrated  English  detective. ' ' 

"You  are  right,  madame,"  replied  the  de 
tective,  with  a  loyalty  that  did  him  credit, 
"you  are  right.  Old  Ganimard  is  not  able  to 
overcome  Arsene  Lupin.  But  will  Herlock 
Sholmes  succeed?  I  hope  so,  as  I  have  the 
greatest  admiration  for  him.  But  ...  it 
is  improbable. ' ' 

"Do  you  mean  to  say  that  he  will  not  suc 
ceed!  " 

"That  is  my  opinion.  I  can  foresee  the  re 
sult  of  a  duel  between  Herlock  Sholmes  and 
Arsene  Lupin.  The  Englishman  will  be  de 
feated." 

"But,  in  any  event,  can  we  count  on  your 
assistance?  " 

"Quite  so,  madame.    I  shall  be  pleased  to 


VERSUS     HERLOCK     SHOLMES 


render  Monsieur  Sholmes  all  possible  assist 


ance.  ' 


' '  Do  you  know  his  address  1 ' ' 

"Yes;  219  Parker  street." 

44  That  evening  Monsieur  and  Madame  de 
Crozon  withdrew  the  charge  they  had  made 
against  Herr  Bleichen,  and  a  joint  letter  was 
addressed  to  Herlock  Sholmes. 


CHAPTEE  III. 

HEKLOCK  SHOLMES  OPENS  HOSTILITIES. 

HAT  does  monsieur  wish?" 

' '  Anything, J  '  replied  Arsene  Lupin, 
like  a  man  who  never  worries  over 
the  details  of  a  meal;  "anything  you  like,  but 
no  meat  or  alcohol. ' ' 

The  waiter  walked  away,  disdainfully. 

"What!  still  a  vegetarian?"  I  exclaimed. 

"More  so  than  ever,"  replied  Lupin. 

"Through  taste,  faith,  or  habit!" 

"Hygiene." 

"And  do  you  never  fall  from  grace?" 

"Oh!  yes  .  .  .  when  I  am  dining  out 
.  .  .  and  wish  to  avoid  being  considered  ec 
centric.  ' ' 

We  were  dining  near  the  Northern  Eail- 
way  station,  in  a  little  restaurant  to  which 
Arsene  Lupin  had  invited  me.  Frequently 
he  would  send  me  a  telegram  asking  me  to 
meet  him  in  some  obscure  restaurant,  where 
we  could  enjoy  a  quiet  dinner,  well  served, 
and  which  was  always  made  interesting  to 

92 


VERSUS     HERLOCK     SHOLMES  93 

me  by  his  recital  of  some  startling  adventure 
theretofore  unknown  to  me. 

On  that  particular  evening  he  appeared  to 
be  in  a  more  lively  mood  than  usual.  He 
laughed  and  joked  with  careless  animation, 
and  with  that  delicate  sarcasm  that  was  ha 
bitual  with  him — a  light  and  spontaneous 
sarcasm  that  was  quite  free  from  any  tinge 
of  malice.  It  was  a  pleasure  to  find  him  in 
that  jovial  mood,  and  I  could  not  resist  the 
desire  to  tell  him  so. 

' '  Ah !  yes, ' '  he  exclaimed,  * i  there  are  days 
in  which  I  find  life  as  bright  and  gay  as  a 
spring  morning;  then  life  seems  to  be  an  in 
finite  treasure  which  I  can  never  exhaust. 
And  yet  God  knows  I  lead  a  careless  exist 
ence  ! ' ' 

"Too  much  so,  perhaps/' 

"  Ah !  but  I  tell  you,  the  treasure  is  infinite. 
I  can  spend  it  with  a  lavish  hand.  I  can  cast 
my  youth  and  strength  to  the  four  winds  of 
Heaven,  and  it  is  replaced  by  a  still  younger 
and  greater  force.  Besides,  my  life  is  so 
pleasant !  ...  If  I  wished  to  do  so,  I  might 
become — what  shall  I  say?  .  .  .  An  orator, 
a  manufacturer,  a  politician.  .  .  .  But,  I 
assure  you,  I  shall  never  have  such  a  desire. 
Arsene  Lupin,  I  am;  Arsene  Lupin,  I  shall 


94  ARSENE     LUPIN 

remain.  I  have  made  a  vain  search  in  his 
tory  to  find  a  career  comparable  to  mine;  a 
life  better  filled  or  more  intense.  .  .  .  Na 
poleon?  Yes,  perhaps.  .  .  .  But  Napoleon, 
toward  the  close  of  his  career,  when  all 
Europe  was  trying  to  crush  him,  asked  him 
self  on  the  eve  of  each  battle  if  it  would  not 
be  his  last." 

Was  he  serious!  Or  was  he  joking!  He 
became  more  animated  as  he  proceeded : 

"That  is  everything,  do  you  understand, 
the  danger!  The  continuous  feeling  of  dan 
ger  !  To  breathe  it  as  you  breathe  the  air,  to 
scent  it  in  every  breath  of  wind,  to  detect  it 
in  every  unusual  sound.  .  .  .  And,  in  the 
midst  of  the  tempest,  to  remain  calm  .  .  . 
and  not  to  stmuble !  Otherwise,  you  are  lost. 
There  is  only  one  sensation  equal  to  it:  that 
of  the  chauffeur  in  an  automobile  race.  But 
that  race  lasts  only  a  few  hours;  my  race 
continues  until  death ! ' ' 

4  <  What  fantasy ! "  I  exclaimed.  ' '  And  you 
wish  me  to  believe  that  you  have  no  particu 
lar  motive  for  your  adoption  of  that  exciting 
life?" 

"Come,"  he  said,  with  a  smile,  "you  are  a 
clever  psychologist.  Work  it  out  for  your 
self." 


VERSUS    HERLOCK     SHOLMES 


95 


He  poured  himself  a  glass  of  water,  drank 
it,  and  said: 

"Did  you  read  'Le  Temps'  to-day?" 

"No." 

"Herlock  Sholmes  crossed  the  Channel  this 
afternoon,  and  arrived  in  Paris  about  six 
o'clock." 

4 '  The  deuce !  What  is  he  coming  for  ?  ' ' 

"A  little  journey  he  has  undertaken  at  the 
request  of  the  Count  and  Countess  of  Crozon, 
Monsieur  Gerhois,  and  the  nephew  of  Baron 
d'Hautrec.  They  met  him  at  the  Northern 
Eailway  station,  took  him  to  meet  Ganimard, 
and,  at  this  moment,  the  six  of  them  are  hold 
ing  a  consultation." 

Despite  a  strong  temptation  to  do  so,  I  had 
never  ventured  to  question  Arsene  Lupin  con 
cerning  any  action  of  his  private  life,  unless 
he  had  first  mentioned  the  subject  to  me.  Up 
to  that  moment  his  name  had  not  been  men 
tioned,  at  least  officially,  in  connection  with 
the  blue  diamond.  Consequently,  I  consumed 
my  curiosity  in  patience.  He  continued : 

"There  is  also  in  'Le  Temps'  an  interview 
with  my  old  friend  Ganimard,  according  to 
whom  a  certain  blonde  lady,  who  should  be 
my  friend,  must  have  murdered  the  Baron 
d'Hautrec  and  tried  to  rob  Madame  de 


96  AESENE    LUPIN 

Crozon  of  her  famous  ring.  And — what  do 
you  think? — he  accuses  me  of  being  the  in 
stigator  of  those  crimes/' 

I  could  not  suppress  a  slight  shudder.  Was 
this  true?  Must  I  believe  that  his  career  of 
theft,  his  mode  of  existence,  the  logical  result 
of  such  a  life,  had  drawn  that  man  into  more 
serious  crimes,  including  murder?  I  looked 
at  him.  He  was  so  calm,  and  his  eyes  had 
such  a  frank  expression!  I  observed  his 
hands:  they  had  been  formed  from  a  model 
of  exceeding  delicacy,  long  and  slender;  inof 
fensive,  truly ;  and  the  hands  of  an  artist.  .  . 

"Ganimard  has  pipe-dreams,"  I  said. 

"No,  no!"  protested  Lupin.  "Ganimard 
has  some  cleverness ;  and,  at  times,  almost  in 
spiration.  ' ' 

"Inspiration!" 

"Yes.  For  instance,  that  interview  is  a 
master-stroke.  In  the  first  place,  he  an 
nounces  the  coming  of  his  English  rival  in 
order  to  put  me  on  my  guard,  and  make  his 
task  more  difficult.  In  the  second  place,  he 
indicates  the  exact  point  to  which  he  has  con 
ducted  the  affair  in  order  that  Sholmes  will 
not  get  credit  for  the  work  already  done  by 
Ganimard.  That  is  good  warfare." 

"Whatever  it  may  be,  you  have  two  ad- 


VERSUS    HERLOCK     SHOLMES 


versaries  to  deal  with,  and  such  adversa 
ries!" 

"Oh!  one  of  them  doesn't  count.  " 

"And  the  other!" 

"Sholmes?  Oh!  I  confess  he  is  a  worthy 
foe;  and  that  explains  my  present  good  hu 
mor.  In  the  first  place,  it  is  a  question  of 
self-esteem;  I  am  pleased  to  know  that  they 
consider  me  a  subject  worthy  the  attention 
of  the  celebrated  English  detective.  In  the 
next  place,  just  imagine  the  pleasure  a  man, 
such  as  I,  must  experience  in  the  thought  of 
a  duel  with  Herlock  Sholmes.  But  I  shall  be 
obliged  to  strain  every  muscle  ;  he  is  a  clever 
fellow,  and  will  contest  every  inch  of  the 
ground." 

"Then  you  consider  him  a  strong  op 
ponent?" 

"I  do.  As  a  detective,  I  believe,  he  has 
never  had  an  equal.  But  I  have  one  advan 
tage  over  him;  he  is  making  the  attack  and 
I  am  simply  defending  myself.  My  role  is 
the  easier  one.  Besides,  I  am  familiar  with 
his  method  of  warfare,  and  he  does  not  know 
mine.  I  am  prepared  to  show  him  a  few  new 
tricks  that  will  give  him  something  to  think 
about." 

He  tapped  the  table  with  his  fingers  as  he 


98  ARSENE     LUPIN" 

uttered  the  following  sentences,  with  an  air 
of  keen  delight : 

"Arsene  Lupin  against  Herlock  Sholmes. 
.  .  .  France  against  England.  .  .  .  Tra 
falgar  will  be  revenged  at  last.  ...  Ah! 
the  rascal  ...  he  doesn't  suspect  that  I 
am  prepared  .  .  .  and  a  Lupin  warned— 

He  stopped  suddenly,  seized  with  a  fit  of 
coughing,  and  hid  his  face  in  his  napkin,  as  if 
something  had  stuck  in  his  throat. 

"A  bit  of  bread! "  I  inquired.  " Drink 
some  water. ' ' 

"No,  it  isn't  that,"  he  replied,  in  a  stifled 
voice. 

"Then,  what  is  it!" 

"The  want  of  air." 

"Do  you  wish  a  window  opened?" 

"No,  I  shall  go  out.  Give  me  my  hat  and 
overcoat,  quick !  I  must  go. " 

"What's  the  matter?" 

' '  The  two  gentlemen  who  came  in  just  now. 
.  .  .  Look  at  the  taller  one  .  .  .  now, 
when  we  go  out,  keep  to  my  left,  so  he  will 
not  see  me." 

"The  one  who  is  sitting  behind  you?" 

"Yes.    I  will  explain  it  to  you,  outside." 

"Who  is  it?" 

"Herlock  Sholmes." 


VERSUS     HERLOCK     SHOLMES  99 

He  made  a  desperate  effort  to  control  him 
self,  as  if  he  were  ashamed  of  his  emotion, 
replaced  his  napkin,  drank  a  glass  of  water, 
and,  quite  recovered,  said  to  me,  smiling: 

"It  is  strange,  hein,  that  I  should  be  af 
fected  so  easily,  but  that  unexpected  sight — " 

"What  have  you  to  fear,  since  no  one  can 
recognize  you,  on  account  of  your  many 
transformations  I  Every  time  I  see  you  it 
seems  to  me  your  face  is  changed;  it's  not  at 
all  familiar.  I  don't  know  why." 

4 'But  he  would  recognize  me,"  said  Lupin. 
4  i  He  has  seen  me  only  once ;  but,  at  that  time, 
he  made  a  mental  photograph  of  me — not  of 
my  external  appearance  but  of  my  very  soul 
—not  what  I  appear  to  be  but  just  what  I  am. 
Do  you  understand!  And  then  .  .  .  and 
then  ...  I  did  not  expect  to  meet  him 
here.  .  .  .  Such  a  strange  encounter!  .  .  . 
in  this  little  restaurant  .  .  .  " 

' '  Well,  shall  we  go  out!" 

"No,  not  now,"  said  Lupin. 

*  '  What  are  you  going  to  do  ? " 

4 '  The  better  way  is  to  act  frankly  ...  to 
have  confidence  in  him — trust  him  ..." 

"You  will  not  speak  to  him?" 

"Why  not?  It  will  be  to  my  advantage  to 
do  so,  and  find  out  what  he  knows,  and,  per- 


100  ARSENE     LUPIN 

haps,  what  he  thinks.  At  present  I  have  the 
feeling  that  his  gaze  is  on  my  neck  and 
shoulders,  and  that  he  is  trying  to  remember 
where  he  has  seen  them  before. ' ' 

He  reflected  a  moment.  I  observed  a  ma 
licious  smile  at  the  corner  of  his  mouth ;  then, 
obedient,  I  think,  to  a  whim  of  his  impulsive 
nature,  and  not  to  the  necessities  of  the  situ 
ation,  he  arose,  turned  around,  and,  with  a 
bow  and  a  joyous  air,  he  said : 

"By  what  lucky  chance?  Ah!  I  am  de 
lighted  to  see  you.  Permit  me  to  introduce 
a  friend  of  mine." 

For  a  moment  the  Englishman  was  discon 
certed;  then  he  made  a  movement  as  if  he 
would  seize  Arsene  Lupin.  The  latter  shook 
his  head,  and  said : 

"That  would  not  be  fair;  besides,  the 
movement  would  be  an  awkward  one  and 
.  .  .  quite  useless." 

The  Englishman  looked  about  him,  as  if  in 
search  of  assistance. 

"No  use,"  said  Lupin.  "Besides,  are  you 
quite  sure  you  can  place  your  hand  on  me! 
Come,  now,  show  me  that  you  are  a  real  Eng 
lishman  and,  therefore,  a  good  sport. '  ' 

This  advice  seemed  to  commend  itself  to 


VERSUS     HERLOCK     SIIOLMES  101 

the  detective,  for  lie  partially  rose  and  said, 
very  formally: 

i '  Monsieur  Wilson,  my  friend  and  assistant 
-Monsieur  Arsene  Lupin. " 

Wilson's  amazement  evoked  a  laugh.  With 
bulging  eyes  and  gaping  mouth,  he  looked 
from  one  to  the  other,  as  if  unable  to  compre 
hend  the  situation.  Herlock  Sholmes  laughed 
and  said : 

"Wilson,  you  should  conceal  your  aston 
ishment  at  an  incident  which  is  one  of  the 
most  natural  in  the  world. ' ' 

"Why  do  you  not  arrest  him?"  stammered 
Wilson. 

"Have  you  not  observed,  Wilson,  that  the 
gentleman  is  between  me  and  the  door,  and 
only  a  few  steps  from  the  door.  By  the  time 
I  could  move  my  little  finger  he  would  be 
outside." 

"Don't  let  that  make  any  difference,"  said 
Lupin,  who  now  walked  around  the  table  and 
seated  himself  so  that  the  Englishman  was 
between  him  and  the  door — thus  placing  him 
self  at  the  mercy  of  the  foreigner. 

Wilson  looked  at  Sholmes  to  find  out  if  he 
had  the  right  to  admire  this  act  of  wanton 
courage.  The  Englishman's  face  was  im 
penetrable  ;  but,  a  moment  later,  he  called : 


102  ARSENE     LUPIN 

"  Waiter !" 

When  the  waiter  came  he  ordered  soda, 
beer  and  whisky.  The  treaty  of  peace  was 
signed — until  further  orders.  In  a  few  mo 
ments  the  four  men  were  conversing  in  an 

apparently  friendly  manner. 

***** 

Herlock  Sholmes  is  a  man  such  as  you 
might  meet  every  day  in  the  business  world. 
He  is  about  fifty  years  of  age,  and  looks  as 
if  he  might  have  passed  his  life  in  an  office, 
adding  up  columns  of  dull  figures  or  writing 
out  formal  statements  of  business  accounts. 
There  was  nothing  to  distinguish  him  from 
the  average  citizen  of  London,  except  the 
appearance  of  his  eyes,  his  terribly  keen  and 
penetrating  eyes. 

But  then  he  is  Herlock  Sholmes — which 
means  that  he  is  a  wonderful  combination  of 
intuition,  observation,  clairvoyance  and  in 
genuity.  One  could  readily  believe  that  na 
ture  had  been  pleased  to  take  the  two  most 
extraordinary  detectives  that  the  imagination 
of  man  has  hitherto  conceived,  the  Dupin  of 
Edgar  Allen  Poe  and  the  Lecoq  of  Emile 
Gaboriau,  and,  out  of  that  material,  con 
structed  a  new  detective,  more  extraordinary 
and  supernatural  than  either  of  them.  And 
when  a  person  reads  the  history  of  his  ex- 


VERSUS    HEELOCK     SHOLMES  103 

ploits,  which  have  made  him  famous  through 
out  the  entire  world,  he  asks  himself  whether 
Herlock  Sholmes  is  not  a  mythical  personage, 
a  fictitious  hero  born  in  the  brain  of  a  great 
novelist — Conan  Doyle,  for  instance. 

When  Arsene  Lupin  questioned  him  in  re 
gard  to  the  length  of  his  sojourn  in  France 
he  turned  the  conversation  into  its  proper 
channel  by  saying: 

"  That  depends  on  you,  monsieur. " 

"Oh!"  exclaimed  Lupin,  laughing,  "if  it 
depends  on  me  you  can  return  to  England  to 
night." 

"That  is  a  little  too  soon,  but  I  expect  to 
return  in  the  course  of  eight  or  nine  days — 
ten  at  the  outside. ' ' 

"Are  you  in  such  a  hurry!" 

"I  have  many  cases  to  attend  to;  such  as 
the  robbery  of  the  Anglo-Chinese  Bank,  the 
abduction  of  Lady  Eccleston.  .  .  .  But, 
don't  you  think,  Monsieur  Lupin,  that  I  can 
finish  my  business  in  Paris  within  a  week!" 

"Certainly,  if  you  confine  your  efforts  to 
the  case  of  the  blue  diamond.  It  is,  moreover, 
the  length  of  time  that  I  require  to  make 
preparations  for  my  safety  in  case  the  solu 
tion  of  that  affair  should  give  you  certain 
dangerous  advantages  over  me. ' ' 


104  ARSENE    LUPIN" 

"And  yet,"  said  the  Englishman,  "I  ex 
pect  to  close  the  business  in  eight  or  ten 
days." 

' i  And  arrest  me  on  the  eleventh,  perhaps  ! ' ' 

' '  No,  the  tenth  is  my  limit. ' ' 

Lupin  shook  his  head  thoughtfully,  as  he 
said: 

"That  will  be  difficult— very  difficult." 

"Difficult,  perhaps,  but  possible,  therefore 
certain " 

"Absolutely  certain/'  said  Wilson,  as  if  he 
had  clearly  worked  out  the  long  series  of  op 
erations  which  would  conduct  his  collaborator 
to  the  desired  result. 

"Of  course,"  said  Herlock  Sholmes,  "I  do 
not  hold  all  the  trump  cards,  as  these  cases 
are  already  several  months  old,  and  I  lack 
certain  information  and  clues  upon  which  I 
am  accustomed  to  base  my  investigations. ' ' 

"Such  as  spots  of  mud  and  cigarette 
ashes,"  said  Wilson,  with  an  air  of  import 
ance. 

'  i  In  addition  to  the  remarkable  conclusions 
formed  by  Monsieur  Ganimard,  I  have  ob 
tained  all  the  articles  written  on  the  subject, 
and  have  formed  a  few  deductions  of  my 
own. ' ' 

"Some  ideas  which  were  suggested  to  us 


VERSUS     HERLOCK     SHOLMES 


105 


by  analysis  or  hypothesis,"  added  Wilson, 
sententiously. 

"I  wish  to  enquire,"  said  Arsene  Lupin, 
in  that  deferential  tone  which  he  employed 
in  speaking  to  Sholmes,  "  would  I  be  indis 
creet  if  I  were  to  ask  you  what  opinion  you 
have  formed  about  the  case!" 

Really,  it  was  a  most  exciting  situation  to 
see  those  two  men  facing  each  other  across 
the  table,  engaged  in  an  earnest  discussion 
as  if  they  were  obliged  to  solve  some  abstruse 
problem  or  come  to  an  agreement  upon  some 
controverted  fact.  Wilson  was  in  the  sev 
enth  heaven  of  delight.  Herlock  Sholmes 
filled  his  pipe  slowly,  lighted  it,  and  said : 

4 'This  affair  is  much  simpler  than  it  ap 
peared  to  be  at  first  sight." 

"Much  simpler,"  said  Wilson,  as  a  faith 
ful  echo. 

"I  say  .'this  affair,'  for,  in  my  opinion, 
there  is  only  one,"  said  Sholmes.  "The  death 
of  the  Baron  d'Hautrec,  the  story  of  the 
ring,  and,  let  us  not  forget,  the  mystery  of 
lottery  ticket  number  514,  are  only  different 
phases  of  what  one  might  call  the  mystery  of 
the  blonde  Lady.  Now,  according  to  my 
view,  it  is  simply  a  question  of  discovering 
the  bond  that  unites  those  three  episodes  in 


106  ABSENE     LUPIN 

the  same  story — the  fact  which  proves  the 
unity  of  the  three  events.  Ganimard,  whose 
judgment  is  rather  superficial,  finds  that 
unity  in  the  faculty  of  disappearance;  that 
is,  in  the  power  of  coming  and  going  unseen 
and  unheard.  That  theory  does  not  satisfy 
me." 

"Well,  what  is  your  idea?"  asked  Lupin. 

i  i  In  my  opinion, ' '  said  Sholmes, i  i  the  char 
acteristic  feature  of  the  three  episodes  is  your 
design  and  purpose  of  leading  the  affair  into 
a  certain  channel  previously  chosen  by  you. 
It  is,  on  your  part,  more  than  a  plan ;  it  is  a 
necessity,  an  indispensable  condition  of  suc 
cess." 

"Can  you  furnish  any  details  of  your 
theory?" 

' i  Certainly.  For  example,  from  the  begin 
ning  of  your  conflict  with  Monsieur  Gerbois, 
is  it  not  evident  that  the  apartment  of  Mon 
sieur  Detinan  is  the  place  selected  by  you, 
the  inevitable  spot  where  all  the  parties  must 
meet?  In  your  opinion,  it  was  the  only  safe 
place,  and  you  arranged  a  rendezvous  there, 
publicly,  one  might  say,  for  the  blonde  Lady 
and  Mademoiselle  Gerbois." 

"The  professor's  daughter,"  added  Wil 
son. 


VERSUS     HERLOCK     SHOLMES 


"Now,  let  us  consider  the  case  of  the  blue 
diamond.  Did  you  try  to  appropriate  it  while 
the  Baron  d'Hautrec  possessed  it!  No.  But 
the  baron  takes  his  brother's  house.  Six 
months  later  we  have  the  intervention  of  An 
toinette  Brehat  and  the  first  attempt.  The 
diamond  escapes  you,  and  the  sale  is  widely 
advertised  to  take  place  at  the  Drouot  auc 
tion-rooms.  Will  it  be  a  free  and  open  sale! 
Is  the  richest  amateur  sure  to  carry  off  the 
jewel  f  No.  Just  as  the  banker  Herschmann 
is  on  the  point  of  buying  the  ring,  a  lady 
sends  him  a  letter  of  warning,  and  it  is  the 
Countess  de  Crozon,  prepared  and  influenced 
by  the  same  lady,  who  becomes  the  purchaser 
of  the  diamond.  Will  the  ring  disappear  at 
once  !  No  ;  you  lack  the  opportunity.  There 
fore,  you  must  wait.  At  last  the  Countess 
goes  to  her  chateau.  That  is  what  you  were 
waiting  for.  The  ring  disappears.  " 

'  *  To  reappear  again  in  the  tooth-powder  of 
Herr  Bleichen,  '  '  remarked  Lupin. 

"  Oh  !  such  nonsense  !  '  '  exclaimed  Sholmes, 
striking  the  table  with  his  fist,  "don't  tell  me 
such  a  fairy  tale.  I  am  too  old  a  fox  to  be 
led  away  by  a  false  scent." 

"What  do  you  mean!" 

"What  do  I  mean?"  said  Sholmes,  then 


108  AESENE     LUPIN" 

paused  a  moment  as  if  lie  wished  to  arrange 
his  effect.  At  last  he  said : 

"The  blue  diamond  that  was  found  in  the 
tooth-powder  was  false.  You  kept  the  genu 
ine  stone. " 

Arsene  Lupin  remained  silent  for  a  mo-s 
ment ;  then,  with  his  eyes  fixed  on  the  English 
man,  he  replied,  calmly: 

"You  are  impertinent,  monsieur. " 

"Impertinent,  indeed !"  repeated  Wilson, 
beaming  with  admiration. 

"Yes,"  said  Lupin,  "and,  yet,  to  do  you 
credit,  you  have  thrown  a  strong  light  on  a 
very  mysterious  subject.  Not  a  magistrate, 
not  a  special  reporter,  who  has  been  engaged 
on  this  case,  has  come  so  near  the  truth.  It 
is  a  marvelous  display  of  intuition  and 
logic." 

"Oh!  a  person  has  simply  to  use  his 
brains,"  said  Herlock  Sholmes,  flattered  at 
the  homage  of  the  expert  criminal. 

"And  so  few  have  any  brains  to  use,"  re 
plied  Lupin.  "And,  now,  that  the  field  of 
conjectures  has  been  narrowed  down,  and  the 
rubbish  cleared  away 

"Well,  now,  I  have  simply  to  discover  why 
the  three  episodes  were  enacted  at  25  rue 
Clapeyron,  134  avenue  Henri-Martin,  and 


VERSUS     HERLOCK     SHOLMES 


109 


within  the  walls  of  the  Chateau  de  Crozon  and 
my  work  will  be  finished.  What  remains  will 
be  child's  play.  Don't  you  think  so!" 

"Yes,  I  think  you  are  right." 

'  *  In  that  case,  Monsieur  Lupin,  am  I  wrong 
in  saying  that  my  business  will  be  finished 
in  ten  days?" 

"In  ten  days  you  will  know  the  whole 
truth,"  said  Lupin. 

"And  you  will  be  arrested." 

"No." 

"No!" 

"In  order  that  I  may  be  arrested  there 
must  occur  such  a  series  of  improbable  and 
unexpected  misfortunes  that  I  cannot  admit 
the  possibility  of  such  an  event." 

"We  have  a  saying  in  England  that  'the 
unexpected  always  happens.' 

They  looked  at  each  other  for  a  moment 
calmly  and  fearlessly,  without  any  display 
of  bravado  or  malice.  They  met  as  equals  in 
a  contest  of  wit  and  skill.  And  this  meeting 
was  the  formal  crossing  of  swords,  prelimi 
nary  to  the  duel. 

"Ah!"  exclaimed  Lupin,  "at  last  I  shall 
have  an  adversary  worthy  of  the  name — one 
whose  defeat  will  be  the  proudest  achieve 
ment  in  my  career." 


110  ARSENE     LUPIN 

"Are  you  not  afraid!"  asked  Wilson. 

"Almost,  Monsieur  "Wilson,"  replied  Lu 
pin,  rising  from  Ms  chair,  "and  the  proof  is 
that  I  am  about  to  make  a  hasty  retreat. 
Then,  we  will  say  ten  days,  Monsieur 
Sholmes!" 

"Yes,  ten  days.  This  is  Sunday.  A  week 
from  next  Wednesday,  at  eight  o'clock  in  the 
evening,  it  will  be  all  over. ' ' 

*  '  And  I  shall  be  in  prison ! ' ' 

"No  doubt  of  it." 

' '  Ha !  not  a  pleasant  outlook  for  a  man  who 
gets  so  much  enjoyment  out  of  life  as  I  do. 
No  cares,  a  lively  interest  in  the  affairs  of 
the  world,  a  justifiable  contempt  for  the  po 
lice,  and  the  consoling  sympathy  of  numer 
ous  friends  and  admirers.  And  now,  behold, 
all  that  is  about  to  be  changed !  It  is  the  re 
verse  side  of  the  medal.  After  sunshine 
comes  the  rain.  It  is  no  longer  a  laughing 
matter.  Adieu!" 

"Hurry  up !"  said  Wilson,  full  of  solicitude 
for  a  person  in  whom  Herlock  Sholmes  had 
inspired  so  much  respect,  "do  not  lose  a  min 
ute." 

"Not  a  minute,  Monsieur  Wilson;  but  I 
wish  to  express  my  pleasure  at  having  met 
you,  and  to  tell  you  how  much  I  envy  the 


VERSUS     HERLOCK     SHOLMES 


111 


master  in  having  such  a  valuable  assistant  as 
you  seem  to  be." 

Then,  after  they  had  courteously  saluted 
each  other,  like  adversaries  in  a  duel  who  en 
tertain  no  feeling  of  malice  but  are  obliged  to 
fight  by  force  of  circumstances,  Lupin  seized 
me  by  the  arm  and  drew  me  outside. 

'  <  What  do  you  think  of  it,  dear  boy !  The 
strange  events  of  this  evening  will  form  an 
interesting  chapter  in  the  memoirs  you  are 
now  preparing  for  me." 

He  closed  the  door  of  the  restaurant  behind 
us,  and,  after  taking  a  few  steps,  he  stopped 
and  said: 

4 'Do  you  smoke!" 

' '  No.    Nor  do  you,  it  seems  to  me. ' ' 

"You  are  right,  I  don't." 

He  lighted  a  cigarette  with  a  wax-match, 
which  he  shook  several  times  in  an  effort  to 
extinguish  it.  But  he  threw  away  the  ciga 
rette  immediately,  ran  across  the  street,  and 
joined  two  men  who  emerged  from  the 
shadows  as  if  called  by  a  signal.  He  con 
versed  with  them  for  a  few  minutes  on  the 
opposite  sidewalk,  and  then  returned  to  me. 

"I  beg  your  pardon,  but  I  fear  that  cursed 
Sholmes  is  going  to  give  me  trouble.  But,  I 
assure  you,  he  is  not  yet  through  with  Arsene 


112  ARSENE     LUPIN 

Lupin.  He  will  find  out  what  kind  of  fuel  I 
use  to  warm  my  blood.  And  now — au  revoir ! 
The  genial  Wilson  is  right;  there  is  not  a 
moment  to  lose." 

He  walked  away  rapidly. 

Thus  ended  the  events  of  that  exciting  eve 
ning,  or,  at  least,  that  part  of  them  in  which 
I  was  a  participant.  Subsequently,  during 
the  course  of  the  evening,  other  stirring  inci 
dents  occurred  which  have  come  to  my  knowl 
edge  through  the  courtesy  of  other  members 

of  that  unique  dinner-party. 

***** 

At  the  very  moment  in  which  Lupin  left 
me,  Herlock  Sholmes  rose  from  the  table,  and 
looked  at  his  watch. 

"Twenty  minutes  to  nine.  At  nine  o'clock 
I  am  to  meet  the  Count  and  Countess  at  the 
railway  station. ' ' 

' '  Then,  we  must  be  off ! ' '  exclaimed  Wilson, 
between  two  drinks  of  whisky. 

They  left  the  restaurant. 

"Wilson,  don't  look  behind.  We  may  be 
followed,  and,  in  that  case,  let  us  act  as  if  we 
did  not  care.  Wilson,  I  want  your  opinion: 
why  was  Lupin  in  that  restaurant  ?" 

'  '  To  get  something  to  eat, ' '  replied  Wilson, 
quickly. 


VERSUS     HERLOCK     SHOLMES  113 

"Wilson,  I  must  congratulate  you  on  the 
accuracy  of  your  deduction.  I  couldn't  have 
done  better  myself. ' ' 

Wilson  blushed  with  pleasure,  and  Sholmes 
continued : 

' '  To  get  something  to  eat.  Very  well,  and, 
after  that,  probably,  to  assure  himself 
whether  I  am  going  to  the  chateau  de  Crozon, 
as  announced  by  Ganimard  in  his  interview. 
I  must  go  in  order  not  to  disappoint  him. 
But,  in  order  to  gain  time  on  him,  I  shall  not 
go." 

"Ah!"  said  Wilson,  nonplused. 

"You,  my  friend,  will  walk  down  this 
street,  take  a  carriage,  two,  three  carriages. 
Return  later  and  get  the  valises  that  we  left 
at  the  station,  and  make  for  the  Elysee-Palace 
at  a  galop. " 

"And  when  I  reach  the  Elysee-Palace ? ' ' 

'  i  Engage  a  room,  go  to  sleep,  and  await  my 
orders." 

Quite  proud  of  the  important  role  assigned 
to  him,  Wilson  set  out  to  perform  his  task. 
Herlock  Sholmes  proceeded  to  the  railway 
station,  bought  a  ticket,  and  repaired  to  the 
Amiens'  express  in  which  the  Count  and 
Countess  de  Crozon  were  already  installed. 
He  bowed  to  them,  lighted  his  pipe,  and  had 


114  ARSENE    LUPIN 

a  quiet  smoke  in  the  corridor.  The  train 
started.  Ten  minutes  later  he  took  a  seat 
beside  the  Countess,  and  said  to  her : 

' 'Have  you  the  ring  here,  madame?" 

"Yes." 

i  *  Will  you  kindly  let  me  see  it  ?  " 

He  took  it,  and  examined  it  closely. 

"Just  as  I  suspected:  it  is  a  manufactured 
diamond. ' ' 

"A  manufactured  diamond?" 

"Yes ;  a  new  process  which  consists  in  sub 
mitting  diamond  dust  to  a  tremendous  heat 
until  it  melts  and  is  then  molded  into  a  sin 
gle  stone." 

i  i  But  my  diamond  is  genuine. ' ' 

"Yes,  your  diamond  is;  but  this  is  not 
yours. ' ' 

"Where  is  mine?" 

"It  is  held  by  Arsene  Lupin." 

"And  this  stone?" 

"Was  substituted  for  yours,  and  slipped 
into  Herr  Bleichen's  tooth-powder,  where  it 
was  afterwards  found." 

"Then  you  think  this  is  false?" 

"Absolutely  false." 

The  Countess  was  overwhelmed  with  sur 
prise  and  grief,  while  her  husband  scrutinized 


VERSUS     HERLOCK     SHOLMES 


115 


the  diamond  with  an  incredulous  air.  Finally 
she  stammered: 

"Is  it  possible?  And  why  did  they  not 
merely  steal  it  and  be  done  with  it?  And 
how  did  they  steal  it!" 

"That  is  exactly  what  I  am  going  to  find 
out." 

"At  the  chateau  de  Crozon?" 

"No.  I  shall  leave  the  train  at  Creil  and 
return  to  Paris.  It  is  there  the  game  between 
me  and  Arsene  Lupin  must  be  played.  In 
fact,  the  game  has  commenced  already,  and 
Lupin  thinks  I  am  on  my  way  to  the  cha 
teau." 

"But " 

"What  does  it  matter  to  you,  madame? 
The  essential  thing  is  your  diamond,  is  it 
not?" 

"Yes." 

"Well,  don't  worry.  I  have  just  under 
taken  a  much  more  difficult  task  than  that. 
You  have  my  promise  that  I  will  restore  the 
true  diamond  to  you  within  ten  days." 

The  train  slackened  its  speed.  He  put  the 
false  diamond  in  his  pocket  and  opened  the 
door.  The  Count  cried  out: 

"That  is  the  wrong  side  of  the  train.  You 
are  getting  out  on  the  tracks. ' ' 


116  ARSENE     LUPIX 

4  *  That  is  my  intention.  If  Lupin  has  any 
one  on  my  track,  he  will  lose  sight  of  me 
now.  Adieu. ' ' 

An  employee  protested  in  vain.  After  the 
departure  of  the  train,  the  Englishman  sought 
the  station-master's  office.  Forty  minutes 
later  he  leaped  into  a  train  that  landed  him 
in  Paris  shortly  before  midnight.  He  ran 
across  the  platform,  entered  the  lunch-room, 
made  his  exit  at  another  door,  and  jumped 
into  a  cab. 

' '  Driver — rue  Clapeyron. '  ' 

Having  reached  the  conclusion  that  he  was 
not  followed,  he  stopped  the  carriage  at  the 
end  of  the  street,  and  proceeded  to  make  a 
careful  examination  of  Monsieur  Detinan's 
house  and  the  two  adjoining  houses.  He 
made  measurements  of  certain  distances  and 
entered  the  figures  in  his  note-book. 

i  i  Driver — avenue  Henri-Martin. ' ' 

At  the  corner  of  the  avenue  and  the  rue  de 
la  Pompe,  he  dismissed  the  carriage,  walked 
down  the  street  to  number  134,  and  performed 
the  same  operations  in  front  of  the  house  of 
the  late  Baron  d'Hautrec  and  the  two  adjoin 
ing  houses,  measuring  the  width  of  the  re 
spective  fagades  and  calculating  the  depth 


VERSUS     HERLOCK     SHOLMES  117 

of  the  little  gardens  that  stood  in  front  of 
them. 

The  avenue  was  deserted,  and  was  very 
dark  under  its  four  rows  of  trees,  between 
which,  at  considerable  intervals,  a  few  gas- 
lamps  struggled  in  vain  to  light  the  deep 
shadows.  One  of  them  threw  a  dim  light  over 
a  portion  of  the  house,  and  Sholmes  perceived 
the  "To-let"  sign  posted  on  the  gate,  the 
neglected  walks  which  encircled  the  small 
lawn,  and  the  large  bare  windows  of  the  va 
cant  house. 

"I  suppose,"  he  said  to  himself,  "the 
house  has  been  unoccupied  since  the  death  of 
the  baron.  .  .  .  Ah!  if  I  could  only  get  in 
and  view  the  scene  of  the  murder ! ' ' 

No  sooner  did  the  idea  occur  to  him  than  he 
sought  to  put  it  in  execution.  But  how  could 
he  manage  it?  He  could  not  climb  over  the 
gate ;  it  was  too  high.  So  he  took  from  his 
pocket  an  electric  lantern  and  a  skeleton  key 
which  he  always  carried.  Then,  to  his  great 
surprise,  he  discovered  that  the  gate  was  not 
locked;  in  fact,  it  was  open  about  three  or 
four  inches.  He  entered  the  garden,  and  was 
careful  to  leave  the  gate  as  he  had  found 
it — partly  open.  But  he  had  not  taken  many 
steps  from  the  gate  when  he  stopped.  He 


118  ARSENE     LUPIN 

had  seen  a  light  pass  one  of  the  windows  on 
the  second  floor. 

He  saw  the  light  pass  a  second  window  and 
a  third,  but  he  saw  nothing  else,  except  a 
silhouette  outlined  on  the  walls  of  the  rooms. 
The  light  descended  to  the  first  floor,  and, 
for  a  long  time,  wandered  from  room  to  room. 

"Who  the  deuce  is  walking,  at  one  o'clock 
in  the  morning,  through  the  house  in  which 
the  Baron  d'Hautrec  was  killed? "  Herlock 
Sholmes  asked  himself,  deeply  interested. 

There  was  only  one  way  to  find  out,  and 
that  was  to  enter  the  house  himself.  He  did 
not  hesitate,  but  started  for  the  door  of  the 
house.  However,  at  the  moment  when  he 
crossed  the  streak  of  gaslight  that  came  from 
the  street-lamp,  the  man  must  have  seen  him, 
for  the  light  in  the  house  was  suddenly  ex 
tinguished  and  Herlock  Sholmes  did  not  see 
it  again.  Softly,  he  tried  the  door.  It  was 
open,  also.  Hearing  no  sound,  he  advanced 
through  the  hallway,  encountered  the  foot  of 
the  stairs,  and  ascended  to  the  first  floor. 
Here  there  was  the  same  silence,  the  same 
darkness. 

He  entered  one  of  the  rooms  and  ap 
proached  a  window  through  which  came  a 
feeble  light  from  the  outside.  On  looking 


VERSUS     HERLOCK     SHOLMES 


119 


through  the  window  he  saw  the  man,  who  had 
no  doubt  descended  by  another  stairway  and 
escaped  by  another  door.  The  man  was 
threading  his  way  through  the  shrubbery 
which  bordered  the  wall  that  separated  the 
two  gardens. 

"The  deuce !"  exclaimed  Sholmes,  "he  is 
going  to  escape." 

He  hastened  down  the  stairs  and  leaped 
over  the  steps  in  his  eagerness  to  cut  off  the 
man's  retreat.  But  he  did  not  see  anyone, 
and,  owing  to  the  darkness,  it  was  several 
seconds  before  he  was  able  to  distinguish  a 
bulky  form  moving  through  the  shrubbery. 
This  gave  the  Englishman  food  for  reflection. 
Why  had  the  man  not  made  his  escape,  which 
he  could  have  done  so  easily?  Had  he  re 
mained  in  order  to  watch  the  movements  of 
the  intruder  who  had  disturbed  him  in  his 
mysterious  work? 

"At  all  events,"  concluded  Sholmes,  "it  is 
not  Lupin ;  he  would  be  more  adroit.  It  may 
be  one  of  his  men." 

For  several  minutes  Herlock  Sholmes  re 
mained  motionless,  with  his  gaze  fixed  on  the 
adversary  who,  in  his  turn  was  watching  the 
detective.  But  as  that  adversary  had  become 
passive,  and  as  the  Englishman  was  not  one 


120  ARSENE     LUPIN 

to  consume  his  time  in  idle  waiting,  he  exam 
ined  his  revolver  to  see  if  it  was  in  good 
working  order,  remove  his  knife  from  its 
sheath,  and  walked  toward  the  enemy  with 
that  cool  effrontery  and  scorn  of  danger  for 
which  he  had  become  famous. 

He  heard  a  clicking  sound;  it  was  his  ad 
versary  preparing  his  revolver.  Herlock 
Sholmes  dashed  boldly  into  the  thicket,  and 
grappled  with  his  foe.  There  was  a  sharp, 
desperate  struggle,  in  the  course  of  which 
Sholmes  suspected  that  the  man  was  trying 
to  draw  a  knife.  But  the  Englishman,  be 
lieving  his  antagonist  to  be  an  accomplice 
of  Arsene  Lupin  and  anxious  to  win  the  first 
trick  in  the  game  with  that  redoubtable  foe, 
fought  with  unusual  strength  and  determina 
tion.  He  hurled  his  adversary  to  the  ground, 
held  him  there  with  the  weight  of  his  body, 
and,  gripping  him  by  the  throat  with  one 
hand,  he  used  his  free  hand  to  take  out  his 
electric  lantern,  press  the  button,  and  throw 
the  light  over  the  face  of  his  prisoner. 

"Wilson!"  he  exclaimed,  in  amazement. 

"Herlock  Sholmes!"  stammered  a  weak, 

stifled  voice. 

***** 

For  a  long  time  they  remained  silent,  as- 


VERSUS     HERLOCK     SHOLMES 


121 


tounded,  foolish.  The  shriek  of  an  automo 
bile  rent  the  air.  A  slight  breeze  stirred  the 
leaves.  Suddenly,  Herlock  Sholmes  seized 
his  friend  by  the  shoulders  and  shook  him 
violently,  as  he  cried: 

i  i  What  are  you  doing  here  ?  Tell  me  .  .  . 
What?  .  .  .  Did  I  tell  you  to  hide  in  the 
bushes  and  spy  on  me!" 

"Spy  on  you!"  muttered  Wilson,  "why,  I 
didn't  know  it  was  you." 

'  *  But  what  are  you  doing  here  I  You  ought 
to  be  in  bed." 

4 <I  was  in  bed." 

"You  ought  to  be  asleep." 

"I  was  asleep." 

"Well,  what  brought  you  here?"  asked 
Sholmes. 

"Your  letter." 

"My  letter?    I  don't  understand." 

"Yes,  a  messenger  brought  it  to  me  at  the 
hotel." 

1  '  From  me  ?    Are  you  crazy  ? ' ' 

"  It  is  true — I  swear  it. ' ' 

"Where  is  the  letter?" 

Wilson  handed  him  a  sheet  of  paper,  which 
he  read  by  the  light  of  his  lantern.  It  was  as 
follows : 

"Wilson,  come  at  once  to  avenue  Henri- 


122  AESENE    LUPIN 

Martin.  The  house  is  empty.  Inspect  the 
whole  place  and  make  an  exact  plan.  Then 
return  to  hotel. — Herlock  Sholmes." 

"I  was  measuring  the  rooms,"  said  Wil 
son,  "when  I  saw  a  shadow  in  the  garden.  I 
had  only  one  idea " 

*  *  That  was  to  seize  the  shadow.  .  .  .  The 
idea  was  excellent.  .  .  .  But  remember  this, 
Wilson,  whenever  you  receive  a  letter  from 
me,  be  sure  it  is  my  handwriting  and  not  a 
forgery." 

"Ah!"  exclaimed  Wilson,  as  the  truth 
dawned  on  him,  "then  the  letter  wasn't  from 
you?" 

"No." 

"Who  sent  it,  then?" 

"Arsene  Lupin." 

"Why?  For  what  purpose?"  asked  Wil 
son. 

"I  don't  know,  and  that's  what  worries 
me.  I  don't  understand  why  he  took  the 
trouble  to  disturb  you.  Of  course,  if  he  had 
sent  me  on  such  a  foolish  errand  I  wouldn't 
be  surprised;  but  what  was  his  object  in  dis 
turbing  you?" 

' '  I  must  hurry  back  to  the  hotel. ' ' 

"So  must  I,  Wilson." 


VERSUS     HERLOCK     SHOLMES 


123 


They  arrived  at  the  gate.  Wilson,  who  was 
ahead,  took  hold  of  it  and  pulled. 

"Ah!  you  closed  it!"  he  said. 

"No,  I  left  it  partly  open." 

Sholmes  tried  the  gate;  then,  alarmed,  he 
examined  the  lock.  An  oath  escaped  him : 

"Good  God!  it  is  locked!  locked  with  a 
key!" 

He  shook  the  gate  with  all  his  strength; 
then,  realizing  the  futility  of  his  efforts,  he 
dropped  his  arms,  discouraged,  and  muttered, 
in  a  jerky  manner: 

4 '  I  can  see  it  all  now — it  is  Lupin.  He  fore 
saw  that  I  would  leave  the  train  at  Creil,  and 
he  prepared  this  neat  little  trap  for  me  in 
case  I  should  commence  my  investigation  this 
evening.  Moreover,  he  was  kind  enough  to 
send  me  a  companion  to  share  my  captivity. 
All  done  to  make  me  lose  a  day,  and,  per 
haps,  also,  to  teach  me  to  mind  my  own  busi 
ness." 

"Do  you  mean  to  say  we  are  prisoners!" 

"Exactly.  Herlock  Sholmes  and  Wilson 
are  the  prisoners  of  Arsene  Lupin.  It's  a 
bad  beginning ;  but  he  laughs  best  who  laughs 
last." 

Wilson  seized  Sholmes'  arm,  and  ex 
claimed  : 


124  ARSENE     LUPIN 

' ' Look!  .  .  .  Look  up  there!  ...  A 
light  .  .  .  " 

A  light  shone  through  one  of  the  windows 
of  the  first  floor.  Both  of  them  ran  to  the 
house,  and  each  ascended  by  the  stairs  he 
had  used  on  coming  out  a  short  time  before, 
and  they  met  again  at  the  entrance  to  the 
lighted  chamber.  A  small  piece  of  a  candle 
was  burning  in  the  center  of  the  room.  Be 
side  it  there  was  a  basket  containing  a  bot 
tle,  a  roasted  chicken,  and  a  loaf  of  bread. 

Sholmee  was  greatly  amused,  and  laughed 
heartily. 

'  *  Wonderful !  we  are  invited  to  supper.  It 
is  really  an  enchanted  place,  a  genuine  fairy 
land.  Come,  Wilson,  cheer  up !  this  is  not  a 
funeral.  It's  all  very  funny." 

"Are  you  quite  sure  it  is  so  very  funny?" 
asked  Wilson,  in  a  lugubrious  tone. 

"Am  I  sure?"  exclaimed  Sholmes,  with  a 
gayety  that  was  too  boisterous  to  be  natural, 
"why,  to  tell  the  truth,  it's  the  funniest  thing 
I  ever  saw.  It's  a  jolly  good  comedy!  What 
a  master  of  sarcasm  this  Arsene  Lupin  is! 
He  makes  a  fool  of  you  with  the  utmost  grace 
and  delicacy.  I  wouldn't  miss  this  feast  for 
all  the  money  in  the  Bank  of  England.  Come, 
Wilson,  you  grieve  me.  You  should  display 


VERSUS     HERLOCK     SHOLMES 


that  nobility  of  character  which  rises  supe 
rior  to  misfortune.  I  don't  see  that  you  have 
any  cause  for  complaint.  Eeally,  I  don't." 

After  a  time,  by  dint  of  good  humor  and 
sarcasm,  he  managed  to  restore  Wilson  to  his 
normal  mood,  and  make  him  swallow  a  morsel 
of  chicken  and  a  glass  of  wine.  But  when 
the  candle  went  out  and  they  prepared  to 
spend  the  night  there,  with  the  bare  floor  for 
a  mattress  and  the  hard  wall  for  a  pillow,  the 
harsh  and  ridiculous  side  of  the  situation  was 
impressed  upon  them.  That  particular  inci 
dent  will  not  form  a  pleasant  page  in  the 
memoirs  of  the  famous  detective. 

Next  morning  Wilson  awoke,  stiff  and  cold. 
A  slight  noise  attracted  his  attention:  Her- 
lock  Sholmes  was  kneeling  on  the  floor,  criti 
cally  examining  some  grains  of  sand  and 
studying  some  chalk-marks,  now  almost  ef 
faced,  which  formed  certain  figures  and  num 
bers,  which  figures  he  entered  in  his  note 
book. 

Accompanied  by  Wilson,  who  was  deeply 
interested  in  the  work,  he  examined  each 
room,  and  found  similar  chalk-marks  in  two 
other  apartments.  He  noticed,  also,  two 
circles  on  the  oaken  panels,  an  arrow  on  a 
wainscot,  and  four  figures  on  four  steps  of 


126  ARSENE     LUPIN 

the  stairs.  At  the  end  of  an  hour  Wilson 
said: 

"The  figures  are  correct,  aren't  they!" 

"I  don't  know;  but,  at  all  events,  they  mean 
something,"  replied  Sholmes,  who  had  for 
gotten  the  discomforts  of  the  night  in  the  joy 
created  by  his  new  discoveries. 

"It  is  quite  obvious,"  said  Wilson,  "they 
represent  the  number  of  pieces  in  the  floor. ' ' 

"Ah!" 

"Yes.  And  the  two  circles  indicate  that 
the  panels  are  false,  as  you  can  readily  as 
certain,  and  the  arrow  points  in  the  direction 
in  which  the  panels  move." 

Herlock  Sholmes  looked  at  Wilson,  in  as 
tonishment. 

"Ah!  my  dear  friend,  how  do  you  know 
all  that!  Your  clairvoyance  makes  my  poor 
ability  in  that  direction  look  quite  insignifi 
cant." 

"Oh!  it  is  very  simple,"  said  Wilson,  in 
flated  with  pride;  "I  examined  those  marks 
last  night,  according  to  your  instructions,  or, 
rather,  according  to  the  instructions  of  Ar- 
sene  Lupin,  since  he  wrote  the  letter  you  sent 
tome." 

At  that  moment  Wilson  faced  a  greater 
danger  than  he  had  during  his  struggle  in  the 


VERSUS    HERLOCK     SHOLMES  127 

garden  with  Herlock  Sholmes.  The  latter 
now  felt  a  furious  desire  to  strangle  him. 
But,  dominating  his  feelings,  Sholmes  made 
a  grimace  which  was  intended  for  a  smile, 
and  said: 

"Quite  so,  Wilson,  you  have  done  well,  and 
your  work  shows  commendable  progress.  But, 
tell  me,  have  you  exercised  your  powers  of 
observation  and  analysis  on  any  other  points? 
I  might  profit  by  your  deductions. " 

"  Oh !  no,  I  went  no  farther. ' ' 

"That's  a  pity.  Your  debut  was  such  a 
promising  one.  But,  since  that  is  all,  we  may 
as  well  go." 

"Go !  but  how  can  we  get  out?" 

' '  The  way  all  honest  people  go  out :  through 
the  gate." 

"But  it  is  locked." 

"It  will  be  opened." 

"By  whom?" 

"Please  call  the  two  policemen  who  are 
strolling  down  the  avenue." 

"But " 

"But  what?" 

"It  is  very  humiliating.  What  will  be  said 
when  it  becomes  known  that  Herlock  Sholmes 
and  Wilson  were  the  prisoners  of  Arsene 
Lupin?" 


128  ARSENE    LUPIN 

"Of  course,  I  understand  they  will  roar 
with  laughter,"  replied  Herlock  Sholmes,  in 
a  dry  voice  and  with  frowning  features,  "but 
we  can't  set  up  housekeeping  in  this  place. " 

"And  you  will  not  try  to  find  another  way 
out?" 

"No." 

"But  the  man  who  brought  us  the  basket 
of  provisions  did  not  cross  the  garden,  com 
ing  or  going.  There  is  some  other  way  out. 
Let  us  look  for  it,  and  not  bother  with  the 
police." 

"Your  argument  is  sound,  but  you  forget 
that  all  the  detectives  in  Paris  have  been  try 
ing  to  find  it  for  the  last  six  months,  and  that 
I  searched  the  house  from  top  to  bottom 
while  you  were  asleep.  Ah !  my  dear  Wilson, 
we  have  not  been  accustomed  to  pursue  such 
game  as  Arsene  Lupin.  He  leaves  no  trail 

behind  him." 

***** 

At  eleven  o'clock,  Herlock  Sholmes  and 
Wilson  were  liberated,  and  conducted  to  the 
nearest  police  station,  where  the  commissary, 
after  subjecting  them  to  a  severe  examina 
tion,  released  them  with  an  affectation  of 
good-will  that  was  quite  exasperating. 

"I  am  very  sorry,  messieurs,  that  this  un- 


VERSUS     HERLOCK     SHOLMES  129 

fortunate  incident  has  occurred.  You  will 
have  a  very  poor  opinion  of  French  hospi 
tality.  Mon  Dieu!  what  a  night  you  must 
have  passed !  Ah !  that  rascally  Lupin  is  no 
respecter  of  persons." 

They  took  a  carriage  to  their  hotel.  At  the 
office  Wilson  asked  for  the  key  of  his  room. 

After  some  search  the  clerk  replied,  much 
astonished : 

"But,  monsieur,  you  have  given  up  the 
room. ' ' 

' '  I  gave  it  up  ?    When  1 ' ' 

"This  morning,  by  the  letter  your  friend 
brought  here." 

"What  friend!" 

"The  gentleman  who  brought  your  letter. 
.  .  .  Ah!  your  card  is  still  attached  to  the 
letter.  Here  they  are." 

Wilson  looked  at  them.  Certainly,  it  was 
one  of  his  cards,  and  the  letter  was  in  his 
handwriting. 

"Good  Lord!"  he  muttered,  "this  is  an 
other  of  his  tricks,"  and  he  added,  aloud: 
"Where  is  my  luggage?" 

"Your  friend  took  it." 

"Ah !    .    .    .    and  you  gave  it  to  him?" 

"Certainly;  on  the  strength  of  your  letter 
and  card." 


130  ARSEtfE     LUPIN" 

"Of  course    .    .    .    of  course. " 

They  left  the  hotel  and  walked,  slowly  and 
thoughtfully,  through  the  Champs-Ely  sees. 
The  avenue  was  bright  and  cheerful  beneath 
a  clear  autumn  sun;  the  air  was  mild  and 
pleasant. 

At  Bond-Point,  Herlock  Sholmes  lighted  his 
pipe.  Then  Wilson  spoke : 

"I  can't  understand  you,  Sholrnes.  You 
are  so  calm  and  unruffled.  They  play  with 
you  as  a  cat  plays  with  a  mouse,  and  yet  you 
do  not  say  a  word. ' ' 

Sholmes  stopped,  as  he  replied : 

"Wilson,  I  was  thinking  of  your  card." 

"Well!" 

"The  point  is  this:  here  is  a  man  who,  in 
view  of  a  possible  struggle  with  us,  procures 
specimens  of  our  handwriting,  and  who  holds, 
in  his  possession,  one  or  more  of  your  cards. 
Now,  have  you  considered  how  much  precau 
tion  and  skill  those  facts  represent?" 

"Well?" 

"Well,  Wilson,  to  overcome  an  enemy  so 
well  prepared  and  so  thoroughly  equipped 
requires  the  infinite  shrewdness  of  ...  of 
a  Herlock  Sholmes.  And  yet,  as  you  have 
seen,  Wilson,  I  have  lost  the  first  round." 


VERSUS     HERLOCK     SHOLMES  131 

At  six  o  'clock  the  Echo  de  France  published 
the  following  article  in  its  evening  edition : 

"This  morning  Mon.  Thenard,  commissary 
of  police  in  the  sixteenth  district,  released 
Herlock  Sholmes  and  his  friend  Wilson,  both 
of  whom  had  been  locked  in  the  house  of  the 
late  Baron  d'Hautrec,  where  they  spent  a 
very  pleasant  night — thanks  to  the  thoughtful 
care  and  attention  of  Arsene  Lupin." 

"In  addition  to  their  other  troubles,  these 
gentlemen  have  been  robbed  of  their  valises, 
and,  in  consequence  thereof,  they  have  en 
tered  a  formal  complaint  against  Arsene  Lu 
pin." 

"Arsene  Lupin,  satisfied  that  he  has  given 
them  a  mild  reproof,  hopes  these  gentlemen 
will  not  force  him  to  resort  to  more  stringent 


i . 


Bah!"  exclaimed  Herlock  Sholmes, 
crushing  the  paper  in  his  hands,  ' '  that  is  only 
child's  play!  And  that  is  the  only  criticism 
I  have  to  make  of  Arsene  Lupin :  he  plays  to 
the  gallery.  There  is  that  much  of  the  fakir 
in  him." 

"Ah!  Sholmes,  you  are  a  wonderful  man! 
You  have  such  a  command  over  your  temper. 
Nothing  ever  disturbs  you." 


132 


ARSENE     LUPIN 


"No,  nothing  disturbs  me,"  replied 
Sholmes,  in  a  voice  that  trembled  from  rage ; 
"besides,  what's  the  use  of  losing  my  tem 
per!  ...  I  am  quite  confident  of  the  final 
result ;  I  shall  have  the  last  word. ' ' 


CHAPTER  IV. 

LIGHT  IN  THE  DARKNESS. 

OWEVER  well-tempered  a  man's 
character  may  be — and  Herlock 
She-hues  is  one  of  those  men  over 
whom  ill-fortune  has  little  or  no  hold — there 
are  circumstances  wherein  the  most  coura 
geous  combatant  feels  the  necessity  of  mar 
shaling  his  forces  before  risking  the  chances 
of  a  battle. 

"I  shall  take  a  vacation  to-day, "  said 
Sholmes. 

"And  what  shall  I  do?"  asked  Wilson. 

"You,  Wilson — let  me  see!  You  can  buy 
some  underwear  and  linen  to  replenish  our 
wardrobe,  while  I  take  a  rest." 

"Very  well,  Sholmes,  I  will  watch  while 
you  sleep." 

Wilson  uttered  these  words  with  all  the 
importance  of  a  sentinel  on  guard  at  the  out 
post,  and  therefore  exposed  to  the  greatest 
danger.  His  chest  was  expanded ;  his  muscles 
were  tense.  Assuming  a  shrewd  look,  he 

133 


134  ARSENE     LUPIN 

scrutinized,  officially,  the  little  room  in  which 
they  had  fixed  their  abode. 

"Very  well,  Wilson,  you  can  watch.  I  shall 
occupy  myself  in  the  preparation  of  a  line  of 
attack  more  appropriate  to  the  methods  of 
the  enemy  we  are  called  upon  to  meet.  Do 
you  see,  Wilson,  we  have  been  deceived  in 
this  fellow  Lupin.  My  opinion  is  that  we 
must  commence  at  the  very  beginning  of  this 
affair." 

"And  even  before  that,  if  possible.  But 
have  we  sufficient  time  1 ' ' 

"Nine  days,  dear  boy.  That  is  five  too 
many. ' ' 

The  Englishman  spent  the  entire  afternoon 
in  smoking  and  sleeping.  He  did  not  enter 
upon  his  new  plan  of  attack  until  the  follow 
ing  day.  Then  he  said : 

"Wilson,  I  am  ready.  Let  us  attack  the 
enemy. ' ' 

"Lead  on,  Macduff!"  exclaimed  Wilson, 
full  of  martial  ardor.  "I  wish  to  fight  in  the 
front  rank.  Oh!  have  no  fear.  I  shall  do 
credit  to  my  King  and  country,  for  I  am  an 
Englishman. ' ' 

In  the  first  place,  Sholmes  had  three  long 
and  important  interviews:  With  Monsieur 
Detinan,  whose  rooms  he  examined  with  the 


VERSUS     HERLOCK     SIIOLMES 


greatest  care  and  precision;  with  Suzanne 
Gerbois,  whom  he  questioned  in  regard  to 
the  blonde  Lady;  and  with  Sister  Auguste, 
who  had  retired  to  the  convent  of  the  Visitan- 
dines  since  the  murder  of  Baron  d'Hautrec. 

At  each  of  these  interviews  Wilson  had 
remained  outside;  and  each  time  he  asked: 

"Satisfactory?" 

"Quite  so." 

"I  was  sure  we  were  on  the  right  track." 

They  paid  a  visit  to  the  two  houses  ad 
joining  that  of  the  late  Baron  d'Hautrec  in 
the  avenue  Henri-Martin;  then  they  visited 
the  rue  Clapeyron,  and,  while  he  was  exam 
ining  the  front  of  number  25,  Sholmes  said  : 

"All  these  houses  must  be  connected  by 
secret  passages,  but  I  can't  find  them." 

For  the  first  time  in  his  life,  Wilson 
doubted  the  omnipotence  of  his  famous  asso 
ciate.  Why  did  he  now  talk  so  much  and 
accomplish  so  little? 

"Why!"  exclaimed  Sholmes,  in  answer  to 
Wilson's  secret  thought,  "because,  with  this 
fellow  Lupin,  a  person  has  to  work  in  the 
dark,  and,  instead  of  deducting  the  truth 
from  established  facts,  a  man  must  extract 
it  from  his  own  brain,  and  afterward  learn 
if  it  is  supported  by  the  facts  in  the  case.  '  ' 


136  ARSENE     LUPIN 

"But  what  about  the  secret  passages ?" 

"They  must  exist.  But  even  though  I 
should  discover  them,  and  thus  learn  how 
Arsene  Lupin  made  his  entrance  to  the  law 
yer  's  house  and  how  the  blonde  Lady  escaped 
from  the  house  of  Baron  d'Hautrec  after  the 
murder,  what  good  would  it  do !  How  would 
it  help  me!  Would  it  furnish  me  with  a 
weapon  of  attack!" 

"Let  us  attack  him  just  the  same,"  ex 
claimed  Wilson,  who  had  scarcely  uttered 
these  words  when  he  jumped  back  with  a 
cry  of  alarm.  Something  had  fallen  at  their 
feet;  it  was  a  bag  filled  with  sand  which 
might  have  caused  them  serious  injury  if  it 
had  struck  them. 

Sholmes  looked  up.  Some  men  were  work 
ing  on  a  scaffolding  attached  to  the  balcony 
at  the  fifth  floor  of  the  house.  He  said : 

"We  were  lucky;  one  step  more,  and  that 
heavy  bag  would  have  fallen  on  our  heads. 
I  wonder  if 

Moved  by  a  sudden  impulse,  he  rushed  into 
the  house,  up  the  five  flights  of  stairs,  rang 
the  bell,  pushed  his  way  into  the  apartment 
to  the  great  surprise  and  alarm  of  the  serv 
ant  who  came  to  the  door,  and  made  his  way 


VERSUS    HERLOCK     SHOLMES  137 

to  the  balcony  in  front  of  the  house.  But 
there  was  no  one  there. 

'  *  Where  are  the  workmen  who  were  here  a 
moment  ago?"  he  asked  the  servant. 

"They  have  just  gone." 

"Which  way  did  they  go!" 

"By  the  servants'  stairs." 

Sholmes  leaned  out  of  the  window.  He 
saw  two  men  leaving  the  house,  carrying 
bicycles.  They  mounted  them  and  quickly 
disappeared  around  the  corner. 

'  '  How  long  have  they  been  working  on  this 
scaffolding?" 

"Those  men?  .  .  .  only  since  this 
morning.  It's  their  first  day." 

Sholmes  returned  to  the  street,  and  joined 
Wilson.  Together  they  returned  to  the  hotel, 
and  thus  the  second  day  ended  in  a  mournful 
silence. 

On  the  following  day  their  programme  was 
almost  similar.  They  sat  together  on  a  bench 
in  the  avenue  Henri-Martin,  much  to  Wilson's 
disgust,  who  did  not  find  it  amusing  to  spend 
long  hours  watching  the  house  in  which  the 
tragedy  had  occurred. 

"What  do  you  expect,  Sholmes?  That 
Arsene  Lupin  will  walk  out  of  the  house  ? ' ' 

"No." 


138  ARSENE    LUPIN 

"That  the  blonde  Lady  will  make  her 
appearance! " 

"No." 

"What  then?" 

"I  am  looking  for  something  to  occur; 
some  slight  incident  that  will  furnish  me  with 
a  clue  to  work  on." 

"And  if  it  does  not  occur!" 

' i  Then  I  must,  myself,  create  the  spark  that 
will  set  fire  to  the  powder. ' ' 

A  solitary  incident — and  that  of  a  dis 
agreeable  nature — broke  the  monotony  of  the 
forenoon. 

A  gentleman  was  riding  along  the  avenue 
when  his  horse  suddenly  turned  aside  in  such 
a  manner  that  it  ran  against  the  bench  on 
which  they  were  sitting,  and  struck  Sholmes 
a  slight  blow  on  the  shoulder. 

"Ha!"  exclaimed  Sholmes,  "a  little  more 
and  I  would  have  had  a  broken  shoulder. ' ' 

The  gentleman  struggled  with  his  horse. 
The  Englishman  drew  his  revolver  and 
pointed  it;  but  Wilson  seized  his  arm,  and 
said: 

"Don't  be  foolish!  What  are  you  going 
to  do!  Kill  the  man!" 

' ' Leave  me  alone,  Wilson !    Let  go ! " 


VERSUS     HKRLOCK     SHOLMES 


During  the  brief  struggle  between  Sholmes 
and  Wilson  the  stranger  rode  away. 

44  Now,  you  can  shoot,"  said  Wilson,  tri 
umphantly.  when  the  horseman  was  at  some 
distance. 

"Wilson,  you're  an  idiot!  Don't  you  un 
derstand  that  the  man  is  an  accomplice  of 
Arsene  Lupin!" 

Sholmes  was  trembling  from  rage.  Wilson 
stammered  pitifully  : 

"What!  .  .  .  that  man  ...  an  ac 
complice?  .  .  ." 

"Yes,  the  same  as  the  workmen  who  tried 
to  drop  the  bag  of  sand  on  us  yesterday." 

"It  can't  be  possible!" 

"Possible  or  not,  there  was  only  one  way 
to  prove  it." 

"By  killing  the  man!" 

"No  —  by  killing  the  horse.  If  you  hadn't 
grabbed  my  arm,  I  should  have  captured  one 
of  Lupin's  accomplices.  Now,  do  you  under 
stand  the  folly  of  your  act!" 

Throughout  the  afternoon  both  men  were 
morose.  They  did  not  speak  a  word  to  each 
other.  At  five  o'clock  they  visited  the  rue 
Clapeyron,  but  were  careful  to  keep  at  a  safe 
distance  from  the  houses.  However,  three 
young  men  who  were  passing  through  the 


140  ARSENE     LUPIN 

street,  arm  in  arm,  singing,  ran  against 
Sholmes  and  Wilson  and  refused  to  let  them 
pass.  Sholmes,  who  was  in  an  ill  humor,  con 
tested  the  right  of  way  with  them.  After  a 
brief  struggle,  Sholmes  resorted  to  his  fists. 
He  struck  one  of  the  men  a  hard  blow  on  the 
chest,  another  a  blow  in  the  face,  and  thus 
subdued  two  of  his  adversaries.  Thereupon 
the  three  of  them  took  to  their  heels  and 
disappeared. 

"Ah!"  exclaimed  Sholmes,  "that  does  me 
good.  I  needed  a  little  exercise." 

But  Wilson  was  leaning  against  the  wall. 
Sholmes  said: 

"What's  the  matter,  old  chap!  You're 
quite  pale." 

Wilson  pointed  to  his  left  arm,  which  hung 
inert,  and  stammered: 

"I  don't  know  what  it  is.  My  arm  pains 
me." 

"Very  much!    ...    Is  it  serious?" 

' '  Yes,  I  am  afraid  so. ' ' 

He  tried  to  raise  his  arm,  but  it  was  help 
less.  Sholmes  felt  it,  gently  at  first,  then 
in  a  rougher  way,  "to  see  how  badly  it  was 
hurt,"  he  said.  He  concluded  that  Wilson 
was  really  hurt,  so  he  led  him  to  a  neighbor 
ing  pharmacy,  where  a  closer  examination 


VERSUS     HERLOCK     SHOLMES 


revealed  the  fact  that  the  arm  was  broken 
and  that  Wilson  was  a  candidate  for  the  hos 
pital.  In  the  meantime  they  bared  his  arm 
and  applied  some  remedies  to  ease  his 
suffering. 

''Come,  come,  old  chap,  cheer  up!"  said 
Sholmes,  who  was  holding  Wilson's  arm,  "in 
five  or  six  weeks  you  will  be  all  right  again. 
But  I  will  pay  them  back  .  .  .  the  ras 
cals  !  Especially  Lupin,  for  this  is  his  work 
.  .  .  no  doubt  of  that.  I  swear  to  you  if 
ever  -  " 

He  stopped  suddenly,  dropped  the  arm— 
which  caused  Wilson  such  an  access  of  pain 
that  he  almost  fainted  —  and,  striking  his  fore 
head,  Sholmes  said  : 

i  i  Wilson,  I  have  an  idea.  You  know,  I  have 
one  occasionally." 

He  stood  for  a  moment,  silent,  with  staring 
eyes,  and  then  muttered,  in  short,  sharp 
phrases  : 

"Yes,  that's  it  ...  that  will  explain 
all  ...  right  at  my  feet  .  .  .  and  I 
didn't  see  it  ...  ah,  parbleu!  I  should 
have  thought  of  it  before  .  .  .  Wilson, 
I  shall  have  good  news  for  you.  '  ' 

Abruptly  leaving  his  old  friend,  Sholmes 
ran  into  the  street  and  went  directly  to  the 


142  AKSENE     LUPIX 

house  known  as  number  25.  On  one  of  the 
stones,  to  the  right  of  the  door,  he  read  this 
inscription:  "Destange,  architect,  1875." 

There  was  a  similar  inscription  on  the 
house  numbered  23. 

Of  course,  there  was  nothing  unusual  in 
that.  But  what  might  be  read  on  the  houses 
in  the  avenue  Henri-Martin1? 

A  carriage  was  passing.  He  engaged  it 
and  directed  the  driver  to  take  him  to  No. 
134  avenue  Henri-Martin.  He  was  roused  to 
a  high  pitch  of  excitement.  He  stood  up  in 
the  carriage  and  urged  the  horse  to  greater 
speed.  He  offered  extra  pourboires  to  the 
driver.  Quicker!  Quicker! 

How  great  was  his  anxiety  as  they  turned 
from  the  rue  de  la  Pompe!  Had  he  caught 
a  glimpse  of  the  truth  at  last? 

On  one  of  the  stones  of  the  late  Baron's 
house  he  read  the  words:  "Destange, 
architect,  1874."  And  a  similar  inscription 

appeared  on  the  two  adjoining  houses. 

***** 

The  reaction  was  such  that  he  settled  down 
in  the  seat  of  the  carriage,  trembling  from 
joy.  At  last,  a  tiny  ray  of  light  had  pene 
trated  the  dark  shadows  which  encompassed 
these  mysterious  crimes !  In  the  vast  sombre 


VERSUS     HERLOCK     SHOLMES 


143 


forest  wherein  a  thousand  pathways  crossed 
and  re-crossed,  he  had  discovered  the  first 
clue  to  the  track  followed  by  the  enemy ! 

He  entered  a  branch  postoffice  and  ob 
tained  telephonic  connection  with  the  chateau 
de  Crozon.  The  Countess  answered  the  tele 
phone  call. 

" Hello!     ...    Is  that  you,  madame?" 

4 'Monsieur  Sholmes,  isn't  it?  Everything 
going  all  right?" 

4  i  Quite  well,  but  I  wish  to  ask  you  one 
question.  .  .  .  Hello!" 

"Yes,  I  hear  you." 

'  i  Tell  me,  when  was  the  chateau  de  Crozon 
built!" 

i  t  It  was  destroyed  by  fire  and  rebuilt  about 
thirty  years  ago. ? ' 

"Who  built  it,  and  in  what  year?" 

"There  is  an  inscription  on  the  front  of 
the  house  which  reads:  'Lucien  Destange, 
architect,  1877.'  " 

"Thank  you,  madame,  that  is  all.  Good 
bye." 

He  went  away,  murmuring:  "Destange 
.  .  .  Lucien  Destange  .  .  .  that  name 
has  a  familiar  sound." 

He  noticed  a  public  reading-room,  entered, 
consulted  a  dictionary  of  modern  biography, 


144  ARSENE    LUPIN" 

and  copied  the  following  information: 
"Lucien  Destange,  born  1840,  Grand-Prix  de 
Borne,  officer  of  the  Legion  of  Honor,  author 
of  several  valuable  books  on  architecture, 
etc.  .  .  ." 

Then  he  returned  to  the  pharmacy  and 
found  that  Wilson  had  been  taken  to  the  hos 
pital.  There  Sholmes  found  him  with  his 
arm  in  splints,  and  shivering  with  fever. 

"Victory!  Victory !"  cried  Sholmes.  "I 
hold  one  end  of  the  thread. ' ' 

6 ' Of  what  thread? " 

"The  one  that  leads  to  victory.  I  shall 
now  be  walking  on  solid  ground,  where  there 
will  be  footprints,  clues.  .  .  ." 

"Cigarette  ashes?"  asked  Wilson,  whose 
curiosity  had  overcome  his  pain. 

6  i  And  many  other  things !  Just  think,  Wil 
son,  I  have  found  the  mysterious  link  which 
unites  the  different  adventures  in  which  the 
blonde  Lady  played  a  part.  Why  did  Lupin 
select  those  three  houses  for  the  scenes  of  his 
exploits!" 

"Yes,  why?" 

"Because  those  three  houses  were  built  by 
the  same  architect.  That  was  an  easy  prob 
lem,  eh?  Of  course  .  .  .  but  who  would 
have  thought  of  it?" 


VERSUS     HERLOCK     SHOLMES  145 

"No  one  but  you." 

"And  who,  except  I,  knows  that  the  same 
architect,  by  the  use  of  analogous  plans,  has 
rendered  it  possible  for  a  person  to  execute 
three  distinct  acts  which,  though  miraculous 
in  appearance,  are,  in  reality,  quite  simple 
and  easy  ? ' ' 

'  *  That  was  a  stroke  of  good  luck. ' ' 

"And  it  was  time,  dear  boy,  as  I  was  be 
coming  very  impatient.  You  know,  this  is 
our  fourth  day." 

"Out  of  ten." 

"Oh!  after  this " 

Sholmes  was  excited,  delighted,  and  gayer 
than  usual. 

"And  when  I  think  that  these  rascals  might 
have  attacked  me  in  the  street  and  broken 
my  arm  just  as  they  did  yours!  Isn't  that 
so,  Wilson!" 

Wilson  simply  shivered  at  the  horrible 
thought.  Sholmes  continued : 

"We  must  profit  by  the  lesson.  I  can  see, 
Wilson,  that  we  were  wrong  to  try  and  fight 
Lupin  in  the  open,  and  leave  ourselves  ex 
posed  to  his  attacks." 

"I  can  see  it,  and  feel  it,  too,  in  my  broken 
arm,"  said  Wilson. 

i  '  You  have  one  consolation,  Wilson ;  that  is, 


146  ARSENE    LUPIN" 

that  I  escaped.  Now,  I  must  be  doubly  cau 
tious.  In  an  open  fight  he  will  defeat  me; 
but  if  I  can  work  in  the  dark,  unseen  by  him, 
I  have  the  advantage,  no  matter  how  strong 
his  forces  may  be.'7 

"Ganimard  might  be  of  some  assistance/' 

* '  Never !  On  the  day  that  I  can  truly  say : 
Arsene  Lupin  is  there ;  I  show  you  the  quarry, 
and  how  to  catch  it ;  I  shall  go  and  see  Gani 
mard  at  one  of  the  two  addresses  that  he 
gave  me — his  residence  in  the  rue  Pergolese, 
or  at  the  Suisse  tavern  in  the  Place  du 
Chatelet.  But,  until  that  time,  I  shall  work 
alone. " 

He  approached  the  bed,  placed  his  hand  on 
Wilson's  shoulder — on  the  sore  one,  of  course 
— and  said  to  him : 

' '  Take  care  of  yourself,  old  fellow.  Hence 
forth  your  role  will  be  to  keep  two  or  three 
of  Arsene  Lupin's  men  busy  watching  here  in 
vain  for  my  return  to  enquire  about  your 
health.  It  is  a  secret  mission  for  you,  eh!" 

"Yes,  and  I  shall  do  my  best  to  fulfil  it 
conscientiously.  Then  you  do  not  expect  to 
come  here  any  more  1 ' ' 

"What  for?"  asked  Sholmes. 

"I  don't  know  ...  of  course  .  .  . 
I  am  getting  on  as  well  as  possible.  But, 


VERSUS     HERLOCK     SHOLMES 


Herlock,  do  me  a  last  service:  give  me  a 
drink.  " 

"Adrinkf" 

"Yes,  I  am  dying  of  thirst;  and  with  my 
fever  --  " 

"To  be  sure  —  directly— 

He  made  a  pretense  of  getting  some  water, 
perceived  a  package  of  tobacco,  lighted  his 
pipe,  and  then,  as  if  he  had  not  heard  his 
friend's  request,  he  went  away,  whilst  Wil 
son  uttered  a  mute  prayer  for  the  inaccessible 

water. 

***** 

'  '  Monsieur  Destange  !  '  ' 

The  servant  eyed  from  head  to  foot  the 
person  to  whom  he  had  opened  the  door  of 
the  house  —  the  magnificent  house  that  stood 
at  the  corner  of  the  Place  Malesherbes  and 
the  rue  Montchanin  —  and  at  the  sight  of  the 
man  with  gray  hairs,  badly  shaved,  dressed 
in  a  shabby  black  coat,  with  a  body  as  ill- 
formed  and  ungracious  as  his  face,  he  replied 
with  the  disdain  which  he  thought  the  occa 
sion  warranted: 

"Monsieur  Destange  may  or  may  not  be 
at  home.  That  depends.  Has  monsieur  a 
card?" 

Monsieur  did  not  have  a  card,  but  he  had 


148  ARSENE     LUPIN 

a  letter  of  introduction  and,  after  the  serv 
ant  had  taken  the  letter  to  Mon.  Destange,  he 
was  conducted  into  the  presence  of  that  gen 
tleman  who  was  sitting  in  a  large  circular 
room  or  rotunda  which  occupied  one  of  the 
wings  of  the  house.  It  was  a  library,  and 
contained  a  profusion  of  books  and  architec 
tural  drawings.  When  the  stranger  entered, 
the  architect  said  to  him : 

"You  are  Monsieur  Stickmann ? ' ' 

"Yes,  monsieur." 

"My  secretary  tells  me  that  he  is  ill,  and 
has  sent  you  to  continue  the  general  cata 
logue  of  the  books  which  he  commenced 
under  my  direction,  and,  more  particularly, 
the  catalogue  of  German  books.  Are  you 
familiar  with  that  kind  of  work  2" 

"Yes,  monsieur,  quite  so,"  he  replied,  with 
a  strong  German  accent. 

Under  those  circumstances  the  bargain  was 
soon  concluded,  and  Mon.  Destange  com 
menced  work  with  his  new  secretary. 

Herlock  Sholmes  had  gained  access  to  the 
house. 

In  order  to  escape  the  vigilance  of  Arsene 
Lupin  and  gain  admittance  to  the  house  occu 
pied  by  Lucien  Destange  and  his  daughter 
Clotilde,  the  famous  detective  had  been  com- 


VERSUS     HERLOCK     SHOLMES 


pelled  to  resort  to  a  number  of  stratagems, 
and,  under  a  variety  of  names,  to  ingratiate 
himself  into  the  good  graces  and  confidence 
of  a  number  of  persons  —  in  short,  to  live, 
during  forty-eight  hours,  a  most  complicated 
life.  During  that  time  he  had  acquired  the 
following  information  :  Mon.  Destange,  hav 
ing  retired  from  active  business  on  account 
of  his  failing  health,  now  lived  amongst  the 
many  books  he  had  accumulated  on  the  sub 
ject  of  architecture.  He  derived  infinite 
pleasure  in  viewing  and  handling  those  dusty 
old  volumes. 

His  daughter  Clotilde  was  considered  ec 
centric.  She  passed  her  time  in  another  part 
of  the  house,  and  never  went  out. 

"Of  course,  "  Sholmes  said  to  himself,  as 
he  wrote  in  a  register  the  titles  of  the  books 
which  Mon.  Destange  dictated  to  him,  "all 
that  is  vague  and  incomplete,  but  it  is  quite 
a  long  step  in  advance.  I  shall  surely  solve 
one  of  these  absorbing  problems:  Is  Mon. 
Destange  associated  with  Arsene  Lupin0? 
Does  he  continue  to  see  him  !  Are  the  papers 
relating  to  the  construction  of  the  three 
houses  still  in  existence!  Will  those  papers 
not  furnish  me  with  the  location  of  other 
houses  of  similar  construction  which  Arsene 


150  ARSENE     LUPIN 

Lupin  and  bis  associates  will  plunder  in  the 
future? 

Monsieur  Destange,  an  accomplice  of 
Arsene  Lupin !  That  venerable  man,  an  offi 
cer  of  the  Legion  of  Honor,  working  in 
league  with  a  burglar — such  an  idea  was  ab 
surd!  Besides,  if  we  concede  that  such  a 
complicity  exists,  how  could  Mon.  Destange, 
thirty  years  ago,  have  possibly  foreseen  the 
thefts  of  Arsene  Lupin,  who  was  then  an 
infant  I 

No  matter!  The  Englishman  was  impla 
cable.  With  his  marvellous  scent,  and  that 
instinct  which  never  fails  him,  he  felt  that  he 
was  in  the  heart  of  some  strange  mystery. 
Ever  since  he  first  entered  the  house,  he  had 
been  under  the  influence  of  that  impression, 
and  yet  he  could  not  define  the  grounds  on 
which  he  based  his  suspicions. 

Up  to  the  morning  of  the  second  day  he 
had  not  made  any  significant  discovery.  At 
two  o'clock  of  that  day  he  saw  Clotilde 
Destange  for  the  first  time;  she  came  to  the 
library  in  search  of  a  book.  She  was  about 
thirty  years  of  age,  a  brunette,  slow  and 
silent  in  her  movements,  with  features  im 
bued  with  that  expression  of  indifference 
which  is  characteristic  of  people  who  live  a 


VERSUS     HERLOCK     SHOLMES 


secluded  life.  She  exchanged  a  few  words 
with  her  father,  and  then  retired,  without 
even  looking  at  Sholmes. 

The  afternoon  dragged  along  monoto 
nously.  At  five  o'clock  Mon.  Destange  an 
nounced  his  intention  to  go  out.  Sholmes 
was  alone  on  the  circular  gallery  that  was 
constructed  about  ten  feet  above  the  floor  of 
the  rotunda.  It  was  almost  dark.  He  was 
on  the  point  of  going  out,  when  he  heard  a 
slight  sound  and,  at  the  same  time,  experi 
enced  the  feeling  that  there  was  someone  in 
the  room.  Several  minutes  passed  before 
he  saw  or  heard  anything  more.  Then  he 
shuddered;  a  shadowy  form  emerged  from 
the  gloom,  quite  close  to  him,  upon  the  bal 
cony.  It  seemed  incredible.  How  long  had 
this  mysterious  visitor  been  there?  Whence 
did  he  come? 

The  strange  man  descended  the  steps  and 
went  directly  to  a  large  oaken  cupboard. 
Sholmes  was  a  keen  observer  of  the  man's 
movements.  He  watched  him  searching 
amongst  the  papers  with  which  the  cupboard 
was  filled.  What  was  he  looking  for? 

Then  the  door  opened  and  Mile.  Destange 
entered,  speaking  to  someone  who  was  fol 
lowing  her  : 


152  ARSENE     LUPIN 

"So  you  have  decided  not  to  go  out,  father? 
.  .  .  Then  I  will  make  a  light  .  .  . 
one  second  ...  do  not  move.  .  .  ." 

The  strange  man  closed  the  cupboard  and 
hid  in  the  embrasure  of  a  large  window, 
drawing  the  curtains  together.  Did  Mile. 
Destange  not  see  him?  Did  she  not  hear 
him?  Calmly  she  turned  on  the  electric 
lights;  she  and  her  father  sat  down  close  to 
each  other.  She  opened  a  book  she  had 
brought  with  her,  and  commenced  to  read. 
After  the  lapse  of  a  few  minutes  she  said : 

"Your  secretary  has  gone." 

"Yes,  I  don't  see  him." 

"Do  you  like  him  as  well  as  you  did  at 
first?"  she  asked,  as  if  she  were  not  aware 
of  the  illness  of  the  real  secretary  and  his 
replacement  by  Stickmann. 

"Oh!  yes." 

Monsieur  Destange 's  head  bobbed  from  one 
side  to  the  other.  He  was  asleep.  The  girl 
resumed  her  reading.  A  moment  later  one 
of  the  window  curtains  was  pushed  back,  and 
the  strange  man  emerged  and  glided  along 
the  wall  toward  the  door,  which  obliged  him 
to  pass  behind  Mon.  Destange  but  in  front  of 
Clotilde,  and  brought  him  into  the  light  so 


VERSUS     HERLOCK     SHOLMES 


153 


that  Herlock  Sholmes  obtained  a  good  view 
of  the  man's  face.  It  was  Arsene  Lupin. 

The  Englishman  was  delighted.  His  fore 
cast  was  verified;  he  had  penetrated  to  the 
very  heart  of  the  mystery,  and  found  Arsene 
Lupin  to  be  the  moving  spirit  in  it. 

Clotilde  had  not  yet  displayed  any  knowl 
edge  of  his  presence,  although  it  was  quite 
improbable  that  any  movement  of  the  in 
truder  had  escaped  her  notice.  Lupin  had 
almost  reached  the  door  and,  in  fact,  his  hand 
was  already  seeking  the  door-knob,  when  his 
coat  brushed  against  a  small  table  and 
knocked  something  to  the  floor.  Monsieur 
Destange  awoke  with  a  start.  Arsene  Lupin 
was  already  standing  in  front  of  him,  hat  in 
hand,  smiling. 

"Maxime  Bermond,"  exclaimed  Mon. 
Destange,  joyfully.  "My  dear  Maxime, 
what  lucky  chance  brings  you  here?" 

"The  wish  to  see  you  and  Mademoiselle 
Destange. ' ' 

"When  did  you  return  from  your  jour 
ney?" 

"Yesterday." 

"You  must  stay  to  dinner." 

"No,  thank  you,  I  am  sorry,  but  I  have  an 


154  ARSENE     LUPIN 

appointment  to  dine  with  some  friends  at  a 
restaurant. ' ' 

' i  Come,  to-morrow,  then,  Clotilde,  you 
must  urge  him  to  come  to-morrow.  Ah !  my 
dear  Maxime  ...  I  thought  of  you 
many  times  during  your  absence. " 

"Beallyt" 

"Yes,  I  went  through  all  my  old  papers  in 
that  cupboard,  and  found  our  last  statement 
of  account/' 

"What  account  1" 

"Relating  to  the  avenue  Henri-Martin.'* 

"Ah!  do  you  keep  such  papers!  What 
for?" 

Then  the  three  of  them  left  the  room,  and 
continued  their  conversation  in  a  small  par 
lor  which  adjoined  the  library. 

"Is  it  Lupin?"  Sholmes  asked  himself,  in 
a  sudden  access  of  doubt.  Certainly,  from 
all  appearances,  it  was  he;  and  yet  it  was 
also  someone  else  who  resembled  Arsene 
Lupin  in  certain  respects,  and  who  still  main 
tained  his  own  individuality,  features,  and 
color  of  hair.  Sholmes  could  hear  Lupin's 
voice  in  the  adjoining  room.  He  was  relat 
ing  some  stories  at  which  Mon.  Destange 
laughed  heartily,  and  which  even  brought  a 
smile  to  the  lips  of  the  melancholy  Clotilde. 


VERSUS     HERLOCK     SHOLMES  155 

And  each  of  those  smiles  appeared  to  be  the 
reward  which  Arsene  Lupin  was  seeking,  and 
which  he  was  delighted  to  have  secured.  His 
success  caused  him  to  redouble  his  efforts 
and,  insensibly,  at  the  sound  of  that  clear  and 
happy  voice,  Clotilde's  face  brightened  and 
lost  that  cold  and  listless  expression  which 
usually  pervaded  it. 

' ' They  love  each  other,"  thought  Sholmes, 
* '  but  what  the  deuce  can  there  be  in  common 
between  Clotilde  Destange  and  Maxime  Ber~ 
rnondl  Does  she  know  that  Maxime  is  none 
other  than  Arsene  Lupin! 

Until  seven  o'clock  Sholmes  was  an  anxious 
listener,  seeking  to  profit  by  the  conversa 
tion.  Then,  with  infinite  precaution,  he  de 
scended  from  the  gallery,  crept  along  the 
side  of  the  room  to  the  door  in  such  a  manner 
that  the  people  in  the  adjoining  room  did  not 
see  him. 

When  he  reached  the  street  Sholmes  satis 
fied  himself  that  there  was  neither  an  auto 
mobile  nor  a  cab  waiting  there ;  then  he  slowly 
limped  along  the  boulevard  Malesherbes.  He 
turned  into  an  adjacent  street,  donned  the 
overcoat  which  he  had  carried  on  his  arm, 
altered  the  shape  of  his  hat,  assumed  an  up 
right  carriage,  and,  thus  transformed,  re- 


156  ARSENE     LUPIN 

turned  to  a  place  whence  he  could  watch  the 
door  of  Mon.  Destange's  house. 

In  a  few  minutes  Arsene  Lupin  came  out, 
and  proceeded  to  walk  toward  the  center  of 
Paris  by  way  of  the  rues  de  Constantinople 
and  London.  Herlock  Sholrnes  followed  at  a 
distance  of  a  hundred  paces. 

Exciting  moments  for  the  Englishman! 
He  sniffed  the  air  eagerly,  like  a  hound  fol 
lowing  a  fresh  scent.  It  seemed  to  him  a 
delightful  thing  thus  to  follow  his  adver 
sary.  It  was  no  longer  Herlock  Sholmes  who 
was  being  watched,  but  Arsene  Lupin,  the 
invisible  Arsene  Lupin.  He  held  him,  so  to 
speak,  within  the  grasp  of  his  eye,  by  an  im 
perceptible  bond  that  nothing  could  break. 
And  he  was  pleased  to  think  that  the  quarry 
belonged  to  him. 

But  he  soon  observed  a  suspicious  circum 
stance.  In  the  intervening  space  between 
him  and  Arsene  Lupin  he  noticed  several 
people  traveling  in  the  same  direction,  par 
ticularly  two  husky  fellows  in  slouch  hats 
on  the  left  side  of  the  street,  and  two  others 
on  the  right  wearing  caps  and  smoking  ciga 
rettes.  Of  course,  their  presence  in  that  vi 
cinity  may  have  been  the  result  of  chance, 
but  Sholmes  was  more  astonished  when  he 


VERSUS     HEBLOCK     SHOLMES 


157 


observed  that  the  four  men  stopped  when 
Lupin  entered  a  tobacco  shop ;  and  still  more 
surprised  when  the  four  men  started  again 
after  Lupin  emerged  from  the  shop,  each 
keeping  to  his  own  side  of  the  street. 

"Curse  it!7'  muttered  Sholmes;  "he  is 
being  followed.'7 

He  was  annoyed  at  the  idea  that  others 
were  on  the  trail  of  Arsene  Lupin ;  that  some 
one  might  deprive  him,  not  of  the  glory — he 
cared  little  for  that — but  of  the  immense 
pleasure  of  capturing,  single-handed,  the 
most  formidable  enemy  he  had  ever  met.  And 
he  felt  that  he  was  not  mistaken;  the  men 
presented  to  Sholmes'  experienced  eye  the 
appearance  and  manner  of  those  who,  while 
regulating  their  gait  to  that  of  another,  wish 
to  present  a  careless  and  natural  air. 

"Is  this  some  of  Ganimard's  work!"  mut 
tered  Sholmes.  i  i  Is  he  playing  me  false  ! ' ' 

He  felt  inclined  to  speak  to  one  of  the  men 
with  a  view  of  acting  in  concert  with  him ;  but 
as  they  were  now  approaching  the  boulevard 
the  crowd  was  becoming  denser,  and  he  was 
afraid  he  might  lose  sight  of  Lupin.  So  he 
quickened  his  pace  and  turned  into  the  boule 
vard  just  in  time  to  see  Lupin  ascending  the 
steps  of  the  Hungarian  restaurant  at  the  cor- 


158  ARSENE     LUPIN 

ner  of  the  rue  du  Helder.  The  door  of  the 
restaurant  was  open,  so  that  Sholmes,  while 
sitting  on  a  bench  on  the  other  side  of  the 
boulevard,  could  see  Lupin  take  a  seat  at  a 
table,  luxuriously  appointed  and  decorated 
with  flowers,  at  which  three  gentlemen  and 
two  ladies  of  elegant  appearance  were  al 
ready  seated  and  who  extended  to  Lupin  a 
hearty  greeting. 

Sholmes  now  looked  about  for  the  four  men 
and  perceived  them  amongst  a  crowd  of 
people  who  were  listening  to  a  gipsy  orches 
tra  that  was  playing  in  a  neighboring  cafe.  It 
was  a  curious  thing  that  they  were  paying  no 
attention  to  Arsene  Lupin,  but  seemed  to  be 
friendly  with  the  people  around  them.  One 
of  them  took  a  cigarette  from  his  pocket  and 
approached  a  gentleman  who  wore  a  frock 
coat  and  silk  hat.  The  gentleman  offered  the 
other  his  cigar  for  a  light,  and  Sholmes  had 
the  impression  that  they  talked  to  each  other 
much  longer  than  the  occasion  demanded. 
Finally  the  gentleman  approached  the  Hun 
garian  restaurant,  entered  and  looked  around. 
When  he  caught  sight  of  Lupin  he  advanced 
and  spoke  to  him  for  a  moment,  then  took  a 
seat  at  an  adjoining  table.  Sholmes  now 
recognized  this  gentleman  as  the  horseman 


VERSUS    HERLOCK     SHOLMES  159 

who  had  tried  to  run  him  down  in  the  avenue 
Henri-Martin. 

Then  Sholmes  understood  that  these  men 
were  not  tracking  Arsene  Lupin ;  they  were  a 
part  of  his  band.  They  were  watching  over 
his  safety.  They  were  his  bodyguard,  his 
satellites,  his  vigilant  escort.  Wherever 
danger  threatened  Lupin,  these  confederates 
were  at  hand  to  avert  it,  ready  to  defend  him. 
The  four  men  were  accomplices.  The  gentle 
man  in  the  frock  coat  was  an  accomplice. 
These  facts  furnished  the  Englishman  with 
food  for  reflection.  Would  he  ever  succeed 
in  capturing  that  inaccessible  individual! 
What  unlimited  power  was  possessed  by  such 
an  organization,  directed  by  such  a  chief ! 

He  tore  a  leaf  from  his  notebook,  wrote  a 
few  lines  in  pencil,  which  he  placed  in  an  en 
velope,  and  said  to  a  boy  about  fifteen  years 
of  age  who  was  sitting  on  the  bench  beside 
him: 

"Here,  my  boy;  take  a  carriage  and  de 
liver  this  letter  to  the  cashier  of  the  Suisse 
tavern,  Place  du  Chatelet.  Be  quick ! ' ' 

He  gave  him  a  five-franc  piece.  The  boy 
disappeared. 

A  half  hour  passed  away.  The  crowd  had 
grown  larger,  and  Sholraes  perceived  only  at 


160  ARSENE     LUPIN 

intervals  the  accomplices  of  Arsene  Lupin. 
Then  someone  brushed  against  him  and  whis 
pered  in  his  ear : 

' ' Well!  what  is  it,  Monsieur  Sholmes?" 

"Ah!  it  is  you,  Ganimard? " 

"Yes;  I  received  your  note  at  the  tavern. 
What's  the  matter  ?" 

"He  is  there." 

' '  What  do  you  mean ! ' ' 

1 1  There  ...  in  the  restaurant.  Lean  to 
the  right  .  .  .  Do  you  see  him  now?" 

"No." 

"He  is  pouring  a  glass  of  champagne  for 
the  lady." 

"That  is  not  Lupin." 

"Yes,  it  is." 

"But  I  tell  you  .  .  .  Ah !  yet,  it  may  be. 
It  looks  a  great  deal  like  him,"  said  Gani- 
mard,  naively.  "And  the  others — accom 
plices?" 

"No;  the  lady  sitting  beside  him  is  Lady 
Cliveden ;  the  other  is  the  Duchess  de  Cleath. 
The  gentleman  sitting  opposite  Lupin  is  the 
Spanish  Ambassador  to  London." 

Ganimard  took  a  step  forward.  Sholmes 
retained  him. 

"Be  prudent.    You  are  alone." 

"So  is  he." 


VERSUS     HERLOCK     SHOLMES 


*  i  No,  he  has  a  number  of  men  on  the  boule 
vard  mounting  guard.  And  inside  the  restau 
rant  that  gentleman— 

i  'And  I,  when  I  take  Arsene  Lupin  by  the 
collar  and  announce  his  name,  I  shall  have 
the  entire  room  on  my  side  and  all  the  wait 
ers." 

'  '  I  should  prefer  to  have  a  few  policemen.  '  ' 

"But,  Monsieur  Sholmes,  we  have  no 
choice.  We  must  catch  him  when  we  can.  '  ' 

He  was  right  ;  Sholmes  knew  it.  It  was  bet 
ter  to  take  advantage  of  the  opportunity  and 
make  the  attempt.  Sholmes  simply  gave  this 
advice  to  Ganimard: 

"Conceal  your  identity  as  long  as  possi 
ble.  " 

Sholmes  glided  behind  a  newspaper  kiosk, 
whence  he  could  still  watch  Lupin,  who  was 
leaning  toward  Lady  Cliveden,  talking  and 
smiling. 

Ganimard  crossed  the  street,  hands  in  his 
pockets,  as  if  he  were  going  down  the  boule 
vard,  but  when  he  reached  the  opposite  side 
walk  he  turned  quickly  and  bounded  up  the 
steps  of  the  restaurant.  There  was  a  shrill 
whistle.  Ganimard  ran  against  the  head 
waiter,  who  had  suddenly  planted  himself  in 
the  doorway  and  now  pushed  Ganimard  back 


162  ARSENE     LUPIN 

with  a  show  of  indignation,  as  if  he  were  an 
intruder  whose  presence  would  bring  disgrace 
upon  the  restaurant.  Ganimard  was  sur 
prised.  At  the  same  moment  the  gentleman 
in  the  frock  coat  came  out.  He  took  the  part 
of  the  detective  and  entered  into  an  exciting 
argument  with  the  waiter ;  both  of  them  hung 
on  to  Ganimard,  one  pushing  him  in,  the  other 
pushing  him  out  in  such  a  manner  that,  de 
spite  all  his  efforts  and  despite  his  furious 
protestations,  the  unfortunate  detective  soon 
found  himself  on  the  sidewalk. 

The  struggling  men  were  surrounded  by  a 
crowd.  Two  policemen,  attracted  by  the 
noise,  tried  to  force  their  way  through  the 
crowd,  but  encountered  a  mysterious  resist 
ance  and  could  make  no  headway  through  the 
opposing  backs  and  pressing  shoulders  of  the 
mob. 

But  suddenly,  as  if  by  magic,  the  crowd 
parted  and  the  passage  to  the  restaurant  was 
clear.  The  head  waiter,  recognizing  his  mis 
take,  was  profuse  in  his  apologies ;  the  gentle 
man  in  the  frock  coat  ceased  his  efforts  on  be 
half  of  the  detective,  the  crowd  dispersed,  the 
policemen  passed  on,  and  Ganimard  hastened 
to  the  table  at  which  the  six  guests  were  sit 
ting.  But  now  there  were  only  five!  He 


VEESUS    HERLOCK     SHOLMES  163 

looked  around.  .  .  .  The  only  exit  was  the 
door. 

''The  person  who  was  sitting  here!"  he 
cried  to  the  five  astonished  guests.  "  Where 
is  hef 

* '  Monsieur  Destro  1 ' ' 

"  No ;  Arsene  Lupin ! ' ' 

A  waiter  approached  and  said : 

i 'The  gentleman  went  upstairs." 

Ganimard  rushed  up  in  the  hope  of  finding 
him.  The  upper  floor  of  the  restaurant  con 
tained  private  dining-rooms  and  had  a  pri 
vate  stairway  leading  to  the  boulevard. 

44 No  use  looking  for  him  now,"  muttered 

Ganimard.    t  *  He  is  far  away  by  this  time. ' ' 

***** 

He  was  not  far  away — two  hundred  yards 
at  most — in  the  Madeleine-Bastille  omnibus, 
which  was  rolling  along  very  peacefully  with 
its  three  horses  across  the  Place  de  1 'Opera 
toward  the  Boulevard  des  Capucines.  Two 
sturdy  fellows  were  talking  together  on  the 
platform.  On  the  roof  of  the  omnibus  near 
the  stairs  an  old  fellow  was  sleeping;  it  was 
Herlock  Sholmes. 

With  bobbing  head,  rocked  by  the  move 
ment  of  the  vehicle,  the  Englishman  said  to 
himself : 


164  ARSENE     LUPIN 

"If  Wilson  could  see  me  now,  how  proud 
he  would  be  of  his  collaborator !  .  .  .  Bah ! 
...  It  was  easy  to  foresee  that  the  game 
was  lost,  as  soon  as  the  man  whistled ;  noth 
ing  could  be  done  but  watch  the  exits  and  see 
that  our  man  did  not  escape.  Eeally,  Lupin 
makes  life  exciting  and  interesting. ' J 

At  the  terminal  point  Herlock  Sholmes,  by 
leaning  over,  saw  Arsene  Lupin  leaving  the 
omnibus,  and  as  he  passed  in  front  of  the  men 
who  formed  his  bodyguard  Sholmes  heard 
himsay:"Al'Etoile." 

"A  PEtoile,  exactly,  a  rendezvous.  I  shall 
be  there,"  thought  Sholmes.  "I  will  follow 
the  two  men. ? ' 

Lupin  took  an  automobile;  but  the  men 
walked  the  entire  distance,  followed  by 
Sholmes.  They  stopped  at  a  narrow  house, 
No.  40  rue  Chalgrin,  and  rang  the  bell. 
Sholmes  took  his  position  in  the  shadow  of 
a  doorway,  whence  he  could  watch  the  house 
in  question.  A  man  opened  one  of  the  win 
dows  of  the  ground  floor  and  closed  the  shut 
ters.  But  the  shutters  did  not  reach  to  the 
top  of  the  window.  The  impost  was  clear. 

At  the  end  of  ten  minutes  a  gentleman  rang 
at  the  same  door  and  a  few  minutes  later 
another  man  came.  A  short  time  afterward 


VERSUS     HERLOCK     SIIOLMES  165 

an  automobile  stopped  in  front  of  the  house, 
bringing  two  passengers :  Arsene  Lupin  and  a 
lady  concealed  beneath  a  large  cloak  and  a 
thick  veil. 

"The  blonde  Lady,  no  doubt, "  said 
Sholmes  to  himself,  as  the  automobile  drove 
away. 

Herlock  Sholmes  now  approached  the 
house,  climbed  to  the  window-ledge  and,  by 
standing  on  tiptoe,  he  was  able  to  see  through 
the  window  above  the  shutters.  What  did  he 
see? 

Arsene  Lupin,  leaning  against  the  mantel, 
was  speaking  with  considerable  animation. 
The  others  were  grouped  around  him,  listen 
ing  to  him  attentively.  Amongst  them 
Sholmes  easily  recognized  the  gentleman  in 
the  frock  coat  and  he  thought  one  of  the 
other  men  resembled  the  head-waiter  of  the 
restaurant.  As  to  the  blonde  Lady,  she  was 
seated  in  an  armchair  with  her  back  to  the 
window. 

"They  are  holding  a  consultation," 
thought  Sholmes.  "They  are  worried  over 
the  incident  at  the  restaurant  and  are  hold 
ing  a  council  of  war.  Ah!  what  a  master 
stroke  it  would  be  to  capture  all  of  them  at 
one  fell  stroke ! ' ' 


166  ARSENE     LUPIN" 

One  of  them,  having  moved  toward  the 
door,  Sholmes  leaped  to  the  ground  and  con 
cealed  himself  in  the  shadow.  The  gentleman 
in  the  frock  coat  and  the  head- waiter  left  the 
house.  A  moment  later  a  light  appeared  at 
the  windows  of  the  first  floor,  but  the  shut 
ters  were  closed  immediately  and  the  upper 
part  of  the  house  was  dark  as  well  as  the 
lower. 

' 'Lupin  and  the  woman  are  on  the  ground 
floor ;  the  two  confederates  live  on  the  upper 
floor, "  said  Sholmes. 

Sholmes  remained  there  the  greater  part  of 
the  night,  fearing  that  if  he  went  away  Arsene 
Lupin  might  leave  during  his  absence.  At 
four  o  'clock,  seeing  two  policemen  at  the  end 
of  the  street,  he  approached  them,  explained 
the  situation  and  left  them  to  watch  the  house. 
He  went  to  Ganimard's  residence  in  the  rue 
Pergolese  and  wakened  him. 

' i  I  have  him  yet, ' '  said  Sholmes. 

"Arsene  Lupin?" 

"Yes." 

"If  you  haven't  got  any  better  hold  on 
him  than  you  had  a  while  ago,  I  might  as  well 
go  back  to  bed.  But  we  may  as  well  go  to 
the  station-house." 

They  went  to  the  police  station  in  the  rue 


VERSUS     HERLOCK     SHOLMES  167 

Mesnil  and  from  there  to  the  residence  of  the 
commissary,  Mon.  Decointre.  Then,  ac 
companied  by  half  a  dozen  policemen,  they 
went  to  the  rue  Chalgrin. 

"Anything  new?"  asked  Sholmes,  address 
ing  the  two  policemen. 

"Nothing." 

It  was  just  breaking  day  when,  after  tak 
ing  necessary  measures  to  prevent  escape,  the 
commissary  rang  the  bell  and  commenced  to 
question  the  concierge.  The  woman  was 
greatly  frightened  at  this  early  morning  in 
vasion,  and  she  trembled  as  she  replied  that 
there  were  no  tenants  on  the  ground  floor. 

"What!  not  a  tenant!"  exclaimed  Gani- 
mard. 

"No;  but  on  the  first  floor  there  are  two 
men  named  Leroux.  They  have  furnished  the 
apartment  on  the  ground  floor  for  some  coun 
try  relations." 

1 '  A  gentleman  and  lady. ' ' 

"Yes." 

"Who  came  here  last  night." 

"Perhaps  .  .  .  but  I  don't  know  .  .  . 
I  was  asleep.  But  I  don't  think  so,  for  the 
key  is  here.  They  did  not  ask  for  it. ' ' 

With  that  key  the  commissary  opened  the 
door  of  the  ground-floor  apartment.  It  com- 


168  ARSENE     LUPIN 

prised  only  two  rooms  and  they  were  empty. 

* '  Impossible ! ' '  exclaimed  Sholmes.  ' '  I  saw 
both  of  them  in  this  room. ' ' 

"I  don't  doubt  your  word,"  said  the  com 
missary;  "but  they  are  not  here  now." 

"Let  us  go  to  the  first  floor.  They  must 
be  there." 

"The  first  floor  is  occupied  by  two  men 
named  Leroux. ' ' 

"We  will  examine  the  Messieurs  Leroux." 

They  all  ascended  the  stairs  and  the  com 
missary  rang.  At  the  second  ring  a  man 
opened  the  door;  he  was  in  his  shirt-sleeves. 
Sholmes  recognized  him  as  one  of  Lupin's 
bodyguard.  The  man  assumed  a  furious  air : 

' '  What  do  you  mean  by  making  such  a  row 
at  this  hour  of  the  morning  .  .  .  waking 
people  up  .  .  ." 

But  he  stopped  suddenly,  astounded. 

* i  God  forgive  me !  .  .  .  Really,  gentle 
men,  I  didn't  notice  who  it  was.  Why,  it  is 
Monsieur  Decointre!  .  .  .  and  you,  Mon 
sieur  Ganimard.  What  can  I  do  for  you?" 

Ganimard  burst  into  an  uncontrollable  fit 
of  laughter,  which  caused  him  to  bend  double 
and  turn  black  in  the  face. 

"Ah!  it  is  you,  Leroux,"  he  stammered. 
"Oh!  this  is  too  funny!  Leroux,  an  ac- 


VERSUS     HERLOCK     SHOLMES  169 

complice  of  Arsene  Lupin !  Oh,  I  shall  die ! 
and  your  brother,  Leroux,  where  is  he?" 

"Edmond!"  called  the  man.  "It  is  Gani- 
mard,  who  has  come  to  visit  us." 

Another  man  appeared  and  at  sight  of  him 
Ganimard's  mirth  redoubled. 

"  Oh !  oh !  we  had  no  idea  of  this !  Ah !  my 
friends,  you  are  in  a  bad  fix  now.  Who  would 
have  ever  suspected  it?" 

Turning  to  Sholmes,  Ganiniard  introduced 
the  man : 

' i  Victor  Leroux,  a  detective  from  our  office, 
one  of  the  best  men  in  the  iron  brigade  .  .  . 
Edmond  Leroux,  chief  clerk  in  the  anthropo- 
metric  service." 


CHAPTER  V. 

AN  ABDUCTION. 

|EELOCK  SHOLMES  said  nothing.  To 
protest?  To  accuse  the  two  men  I 
That  would  be  useless.  In  the  absence 
of  evidence  which  he  did  not  possess  and  had 
no  time  to  seek,  no  one  would  believe  him. 
Moreover,  he  was  stifled  with  rage,  but  would 
not  display  his  feelings  before  the  triumphant 
Ganimard.  So  he  bowed  respectfully  to  the 
brothers  Leroux,  guardians  of  society,  and  re 
tired. 

In  the  vestibule  he  turned  toward  a  low 
door  which  looked  like  the  entrance  to  a  cel 
lar,  and  picked  up  a  small  red  stone;  it  was 
a  garnet.  When  he  reached  the  street  he 
turned  and  read  on  the  front  of  the  house  this 
inscription:  "Lueien  Destange,  architect, 
1877." 

The  adjoining  house,  No.  42,  bore  the  same 
inscription. 

"Always  the  double  passage — numbers  40 
and  42  have  a  secret  means  of  eommunica- 

170 


VERSUS     HERLOCK     SHOLMES  171 

tion.  Why  didn't  I  think  of  that?  I  should 
have  remained  with  the  two  policemen. ' ' 

He  met  the  policemen  near  the  corner  and 
said  to  them: 

' '  Two  people  came  out  of  house  No.  42  dur 
ing  my  absence,  didn  ?t  they  1 ' ' 

'  *  Yes ;  a  gentleman  and  lady. ' ' 

Ganimard  approached.  Sholmes  took  his 
arm,  and  as  they  walked  down  the  street  he 
said: 

i  i  Monsieur  Ganimard,  you  have  had  a  good 
]augh  and  will  no  doubt  forgive  me  for  the 
trouble  I  have  caused  you." 

"Oh!  there's  no  harm  done;  but  it  was  a 
good  joke. ' ' 

"I  admit  that;  but  the  best  jokes  have  only 
a  short  life,  and  this  one  can't  last  much 
longer. ' ' 

"I  hope  not." 

'  *  This  is  now  the  seventh  day,  and  I  can  re 
main  only  three  days  more.  Then  I  must  re 
turn  to  London." 

"Oh!" 

"I  wish  to  ask  you  to  be  in  readiness,  as  I 
may  call  on  you  at  any  hour  on  Tuesday  or 
Wednesday  night." 

' '  For  an  expedition  of  the  same  kind  as  we 
had  tonight?" 


172 


ARSENE     LUPIN 


"Yes,  monsieur,  the  very  same." 

"With  what  result?" 

"The  capture  of  Arsene  Lupin,"  replied 
Sholmes. 

"Do  you  think  so?" 

'  i  I  swear  it,  on  my  honor,  monsieur. ' ' 

Sholmes  bade  Ganimard  good-bye  and  went 
to  the  nearest  hotel  for  a  few  hours'  sleep; 
after  which,  refreshed  and  with  renewed  con 
fidence  in  himself,  he  returned  to  the  rue 
Chalgrin,  slipped  two  louis  into  the  hand  of 
the  concierge,  assured  himself  that  the 
brothers  Leroux  had  gone  out,  learned  that 
the  house  belonged  to  a  Monsieur  Harmin- 
geat,  and,  provided  with  a  candle,  descended 
to  the  cellar  through  the  low  door  near  which 
he  had  found  the  garnet.  At  the  bottom  of 
the  stairs  he  found  another  exactly  like  it. 

"I  am  not  mistaken,"  he  thought;  "this  is 
the  means  of  communication.  Let  me  see  if 
my  skeleton-key  will  open  the  cellar  reserved 
for  the  tenant  of  the  ground  floor.  Yes;  it 
will.  Now,  I  will  examine  those  cases  of  wine 
.  .  .  oh !  oh !  here  are  some  places  where  the 
dust  has  been  cleared  away  .  .  .  and  some 
footprints  on  the  ground  .  .  ." 

A  slight  noise  caused  him  to  listen  atten 
tively.  Quickly  he  pushed  the  door  shut,  blew 


VERSUS     HERLOCK     SHOLMES  173 

out  bis  candle  and  hid  behind  a  pile  of  empty 
wine  cases.  After  a  few  seconds  he  noticed 
that  a  portion  of  the  wall  swung  on  a  pivot, 
the  light  of  a  lantern  was  thrown  into  the  cel 
lar,  an  arm  appeared,  then  a  man  entered. 

He  was  bent  over,  as  if  he  were  searching 
for  something.  He  felt  in  the  dust  with  his 
fingers  and  several  times  he  threw  something 
into  a  cardboard  box  that  he  carried  in  his 
left  hand.  Afterward  he  obliterated  the  traces 
of  his  footsteps,  as  well  as  the  footprints  left 
by  Lupin  and  the  blonde  lady,  and  he  was 
about  to  leave  the  cellar  by  the  same  way  as 
he  had  entered,  when  he  uttered  a  harsh  cry 
and  fell  to  the  ground.  Sholmes  had  leaped 
upon  him.  It  was  the  work  of  a  moment,  and 
in  the  simplest  manner  in  the  world  the  man 
found  himself  stretched  on  the  ground,  bound 
and  handcuffed.  The  Englishman  leaned  over 
him  and  said : 

' '  Have  you  anything  to  say  1  ...  To  tell 
what  you  know!" 

The  man  replied  by  such  an  ironical  smile 
that  Sholmes  realized  the  futility  of  question 
ing  him.  So  he  contented  himself  by  explor 
ing  the  pockets  of  his  captive,  but  he  found 
only  a  bunch  of  keys,  a  handkerchief  and  the 
small  cardboard  box  which  contained  a  dozen 


174  ARSENE     LUPIN 

garnets  similar  to  those  which  Sholmes  had 
found. 

Then  what  was  he  to  do  with  the  man! 
Wait  until  his  friends  came  to  his  help  and 
deliver  all  of  them  to  the  police  f  What  good 
would  that  do?  What  advantage  would  that 
give  him  over  Lupin! 

He  hesitated;  but  an  examination  of  the 
box  decided  the  question.  The  box  bore  this 
name  and  address:  "Leonard,  jeweler,  rue 
delaPaix." 

He  resolved  to  abandon  the  man  to  his  fate. 
He  locked  the  cellar  and  left  the  house.  At  a 
branch  postoffice  he  sent  a  telegram  to  Mon 
sieur  Destange,  saying  that  he  could  not 
come  that  day.  Then  he  went  to  see  the  jew 
eler  and,  handing  him  the  garnets,  said : 

"Madame  sent  me  with  these  stones.  She 
wishes  to  have  them  reset." 

Sholmes  had  struck  the  right  key.  The  jew 
eler  replied : 

' '  Certainly ;  the  lady  telephoned  to  me.  She 
said  she  would  be  here  today. ' ' 

Sholmes  established  himself  on  the  side 
walk  to  wait  for  the  lady,  but  it  was  five 
o  'clock  when  he  saw  a  heavily- veiled  lady  ap 
proach  and  enter  the  store.  Through  the  win- 


VERSUS    HERLOCK     SHOLMES  175 

dow  he  saw  her  place  on  the  counter  a  piece 
of  antique  jewelry  set  with  garnets. 

She  went  away  almost  immediately,  walk 
ing  quickly  and  passed  through  streets  that 
were  unknown  to  the  Englishman.  As  it  was 
now  almost  dark,  he  walked  close  behind  her 
and  followed  her  into  a  five-story  house  of 
double  flats  and,  therefore,  occupied  by 
numerous  tenants.  At  the  second  floor  she 
stopped  and  entered.  Two  minutes  later  the 
Englishman  commenced  to  try  the  keys  on 
the  bunch  he  had  taken  from  the  man  in  the 
rue  Chalgrin.  The  fourth  key  fitted  the  lock. 

Notwithstanding  the  darkness  of  the  rooms, 
he  perceived  that  they  were  absolutely  empty, 
as  if  unoccupied,  and  the  various  doors  were 
standing  open  so  that  he  could  see  all  the 
apartments.  At  the  end  of  a  corridor  he  per 
ceived  a  ray  of  light  and,  by  approaching  on 
tiptoe  and  looking  through  the  glass  door,  he 
saw  the  veiled  lady  who  had  removed  her  hat 
and  dress  and  was  now  wearing  a  velvet 
dressing-gown.  The  discarded  garments  were 
lying  on  the  only  chair  in  the  room  and  a 
lighted  lamp  stood  on  the  mantel. 

Then  he  saw  her  approach  the  fireplace  and 
press  what  appeared  to  be  the  button  of  an 
electric  bell.  Immediately  the  panel  to  the 


176  ARSENE     LUPIN 

right  of  the  fireplace  moved  and  slowly  glided 
behind  the  adjoining  panel,  thus  disclosing 
an  opening  large  enough  for  a  person  to  pass 
through.  The  lady  disappeared  through  this 
opening,  taking  the  lamp  with  her. 

The  operation  was  a  very  simple  one. 
Sholmes  adopted  it  and  followed  the  lady.  He 
found  himself  in  total  darkness  and  im 
mediately  he  felt  his  face  brushed  by  some 
soft  articles.  He  lighted  a  match  and  found 
that  he  was  in  a  very  small  room  completely 
filled  with  cloaks  and  dresses  suspended  on 
hangers.  He  picked  his  way  through  until  he 
reached  a  door  that  was  draped  with  a  por 
tiere.  He  peeped  through  and,  behold,  the 
blonde  lady  was  there,  under  his  eyes,  and 
almost  within  reach  of  his  hand. 

She  extinguished  the  lamp  and  turned  on 
the  electric  lights.  Then  for  the  first  time 
Herlock  Sholmes  obtained  a  good  look  at  her 
face.  He  was  amazed.  The  woman,  whom 
he  had  overtaken  after  so  much  trouble  and 
after  so  many  tricks  and  manoeuvres,  was 

none  other  than  Clotilde  Destange. 

***** 

Clotilde  Destange,  the  assassin  of  the 
Baron  d'Hautrec  and  the  thief  who  stole  the 
blue  diamond!  Clotilde  Destange,  the  nays- 


VERSUS     HERLOCK     SHOLMES  177 

terious  friend  of  Arsene  Lupin!  And  the 
blonde  lady ! 

"Yes,  I  am  only  a  stupid  ass,"  thought 
Herlock  Sholmes  at  that  moment.  Because 
Lupin's  friend  was  a  blonde  and  Clotilde  is  a 
brunette,  I  never  dreamed  that  they  were  the 
same  person.  But  how  could  the  blonde  lady 
remain  a  blonde  after  the  murder  of  the  baron 
and  the  theft  of  the  diamond? " 

Sholmes  could  see  a  portion  of  the  room ;  it 
was  a  boudoir,  furnished  with  the  most  de 
lightful  luxury  and  exquisite  taste,  and 
adorned  with  beautiful  tapestries  and  costly 
ornaments.  A  mahogany  couch,  upholstered 
in  silk,  was  located  on  the  side  of  the  room 
opposite  the  door  at  which  Sholmes  was 
standing.  Clotilde  was  sitting  on  this  couch, 
motionless,  her  face  covered  by  her  hands. 
Then  he  perceived  that  she  was  weeping. 
Great  tears  rolled  down  her  pale  cheeks  and 
fell,  drop  by  drop,  on  the  velvet  corsage.  The 
tears  came  thick  and  fast,  as  if  their  source 
were  inexhaustible. 

A  door  silently  opened  behind  her  and 
Arsene  Lupin  entered.  He  looked  at  her  for 
a  long  time  without  making  his  presence 
known ;  then  he  approached  her,  knelt  at  her 
feet,  pressed  her  head  to  his  breast,  folded 


178  AKSEISTE     LUPIN 

her  in  Ms  arms,  and  Ms  actions  indicated  an 
infinite  measure  of  love  and  sympathy.  For 
a  time  not  a  word  was  uttered,  but  her  tears 
became  less  abundant. 

' '  I  was  so  anxious  to  make  you  happy, ' '  he 
murmured. 

"I  am  happy. " 

"No;  you  are  crying  .  .  .  Your  tears 
break  my  heart,  Clotilde. ' ' 

The  caressing  and  sympathetic  tone  of  his 
voice  soothed  her,  and  she  listened  to  him 
with  an  eager  desire  for  hope  and  happiness. 
Her  features  were  softened  by  a  smile,  and 
yet  how  sad  a  smile !  He  continued  to  speak 
in  a  tone  of  tender  entreaty : 

"You  should  not  be  unhappy,  Clotilde ;  you 
have  no  cause  to  be." 

She  displayed  her  delicate  white  hands  and 
said,  solemnly : 

"Yes,  Maxime ;  so  long  as  I  see  those  hands 
I  shall  be  sad. ' ' 

"Why?" 

"They  are  stained  with  blood." 

1 '  Hush !  Do  not  think  of  that ! ' '  exclaimed 
Lupin.  "The  dead  is  past  and  gone.  Do  not 
resurrect  it." 

And  he  kissed  the  long,  delicate  hand,  while 
she  regarded  him  with  a  brighter  smile  as  if 


VERSUS     HERLOCK     SHOLMES  179 

each  kiss  effaced  a  portion  of  that  dreadful 
memory. 

"You  must  love  me,  Maxime;  you  must— 
because  no  woman  will  ever  love  you  as  I  do. 
For  your  sake,  I  have  done  many  things,  not 
at  your  order  or  request,  but  in  obedience  to 
your  secret  desires.  I  have  done  things  at 
which  my  will  and  conscience  revolted,  but 
there  was  some  unknown  power  that  I  could 
not  resist.  What  I  did  I  did  involuntarily, 
mechanically,  because  it  helped  you,  because 
you  wished  it  ...  and  I  am  ready  to  do  it 
again  to-morrow  .  .  .  and  always." 

"Ah,  Clotilde,"  he  said,  bitterly,  "why  did 
I  draw  you  into  my  adventurous  life1?  I 
should  have  remained  the  Maxime  Bermond 
that  you  loved  five  years  ago,  and  not  have 
let  you  know  the  .  .  .  other  man  that  I 
am." 

She  replied  in  a  low  voice : 

"I  love  the  other  man,  also,  and  I  have 
nothing  to  regret. ' ' 

"Yes,  you  regret  your  past  life — the  free 
and  happy  life  you  once  enjoyed." 

' '  I  have  no  regrets  when  you  are  here, ' '  she 
said,  passionately.  "All  faults  and  crimes 
disappear  when  I  see  you.  When  you  are 
away  I  may  suffer,  and  weep,  and  be  horrified 


180  ARSENE     LUPI1ST 

at  what  I  have  done ;  but  when  you  come  it  is 
all  forgotten.  Your  love  wipes  it  all  away. 
And  I  am  happy  again.  .  .  .  But  you  must 
love  me!" 

"I  do  not  love  you  on  compulsion,  Clotilde. 
I  love  you  simply  because  ...  I  love  you. ' ' 

4  i  Are  you  sure  of  it ? ' ' 

"I  am  just  as  sure  of  my  own  love  as  I  am 
of  yours.  Only  my  life  is  a  very  active  and 
exciting  one,  and  I  cannot  spend  as  much  time 
with  you  as  I  would  like — just  now." 

"What  is  it?  Some  new  danger?  Tell 
me!" 

"  Oh !  nothing  serious.    Only    .    .    ." 

"Only  what?"  she  asked. 

"Well,  he  is  on  our  track." 

1  <  Who  ?    Herlock  Sholmes  1 ' ' 

"Yes;  it  was  he  who  dragged  Ganimard 
into  that  affair  at  the  Hungarian  restaurant. 
It  was  he  who  instructed  the  two  policemen 
to  watch  the  house  in  the  rue  Chalgrin.  I 
have  proof  of  it.  Ganimard  searched  the 
house  this  morning  and  Sholmes  was  with 
him.  Besides " 

"Besides?    What?" 

"Well,  there  is  another  thing.  One  of  our 
men  is  missing." 

"Who?" 


VERSUS     HERLOCK     SHOLMES 


'  '  Jeanniot.  '  ' 

'  '  The  concierge  ?  '  ' 

"Yes." 

"Why,  I  sent  him  to  the  rue  Chalgrin  this 
morning  to  pick  up  the  garnets  that  fell  out 
of  my  brooch." 

"There  is  no  doubt,  then,  that  Sholmes 
caught  him." 

"No;  the  garnets  were  delivered  to  the 
jeweler  in  the  rue  de  la  Paix." 

"Then,  what  has  become  of  him?" 

"Oh!  Maxime,  I  am  afraid." 

"There  is  nothing  to  be  afraid  of,  but  I 
confess  the  situation  is  very  serious.  What 
does  he  know!  Where  does  he  hide  himself? 
His  isolation  is  his  strong  card.  I  cannot 
reach  him.  '  ' 

i  i  What  are  you  going  to  do  ?  " 

"Act  with  extreme  prudence,  Clotilde. 
Some  time  ago  I  decided  to  change  my  resi 
dence  to  a  safer  place,  and  Sholmes'  appear 
ance  on  the  scene  has  prompted  me  to  do  so 
at  once.  When  a  man  like  that  is  on  your 
track,  you  must  be  prepared  for  the  worst. 
Well,  I  am  making  my  preparations.  Day 
after  to-morrow,  Wednesday,  I  shall  move.  At 
noon  it  will  be  finished.  At  two  o  'clock  I  shall 
leave  the  place,  after  removing  the  last  trace 


182  AESENE     LUPIN 

of  our  residence  there,  which  will  be  no  small 
matter.  Until  then— 

"Well!" 

' '  Until  then  we  must  not  see  each  other  and 
no  one  must  see  you,  Clotilde.  Do  not  go  out. 
I  have  no  fear  for  myself,  but  I  have  for 
you." 

i 'That  Englishman  cannot  possibly  reach 
me." 

"I  am  not  so  sure  of  that.  He  is  a  danger 
ous  man.  Yesterday  I  came  here  to  search 
the  cupboard  that  contains  all  of  Monsieur 
Destange's  old  papers  and  records.  There  is 
danger  there.  There  is  danger  everywhere. 
I  feel  that  he  is  watching  us — that  he  is  draw 
ing  his  net  around  us  closer  and  closer.  It  is 
one  of  those  intuitions  which  never  deceive 
me." 

' 'In  that  case,  Maxime,  go,  and  think  no 
more  of  my  tears.  I  shall  be  brave,  and  wait 
patiently  until  the  danger  is  past.  Adieu, 
Maxime. ' ' 

They  held  one  another  for  some  time  in  a 
last  fond  embrace.  And  it  was  she  that  gently 
pushed  him  outside.  Sholmes  could  hear  the 
sound  of  their  voices  in  the  distance. 

Emboldened  by  the  necessities  of  the  situa 
tion  and  the  urgent  need  of  bringing  his  in- 


VERSUS     HERLOCK     SHOLMES  183 

vestigation  to  a  speedy  termination,  Sholmes 
proceeded  to  make  an  examination  of  the 
house  in  which  he  now  found  himself.  He 
passed  through  Clotilde 's  boudoir  into  a  cor 
ridor,  at  the  end  of  which  there  was  a  stair 
way  leading  to  the  lower  floor ;  he  was  about 
to  descend  this  stairway  when  he  heard  voices 
below,  which  caused  him  to  change  his  route. 
He  followed  the  corridor,  which  was  a  circu 
lar  one,  and  discovered  another  stairway, 
which  he  descended  and  found  himself  amidst 
surroundings  that  bore  a  familiar  appear 
ance.  He  passed  through  a  door  that  stood 
partly  open  and  entered  a  large  circular 
room.  It  was  Monsieur  Destange's  library. 
"Ah!  splendid!"  he  exclaimed.  "Now  I 
understand  everything.  The  boudoir  of 
Mademoiselle  Clotilde — the  blonde  Lady- 
communicates  with  a  room  in  the  adjoining 
house,  and  that  house  does  not  front  on  the 
Place  Malesherbes,  but  upon  an  adjacent 
street,  the  rue  Montchanin,  if  I  remember  the 
name  correctly.  .  .  .  And  I  now  understand 
how  Clotilde  Destange  can  meet  her  lover 
and  at  the  same  time  create  the  impression 
that  she  never  leaves  the  house ;  and  I  under 
stand  also  how  Arsene  Lupin  was  enabled  to 
make  his  mysterious  entrance  to  the  gallery 


184  ARSENE     LUPIN 

last  night.  Ah!  there  must  be  another  con 
nection  between  the  library  and  the  adjoining 
room.  One  more  house  full  of  ways  that  are 
dark!  And  no  doubt  Lucien  Destange  was 
the  architect,  as  usual!  ...  I  should  take 
advantage  of  this  opportunity  to  examine  the 
contents  of  the  cupboard  and  perhaps  learn 
the  location  of  other  houses  with  secret  pas 
sages  constructed  by  Monsieur  Destange." 

Sholmes  ascended  to  the  gallery  and  con 
cealed  himself  behind  some  draperies,  where 
he  remained  until  late  in  the  evening.  At 
last  a  servant  came  and  turned  off  the  electric 
lights.  An  hour  later  the  Englishman,  by  the 
light  of  his  lantern,  made  his  way  to  the  cup 
board.  As  he  had  surmised,  it  contained  the 
architect's  old  papers,  plans,  specifications 
and  books  of  account.  It  also  contained  a 
series  of  registers,  arranged  according  to 
date,  and  Sholmes,  having  selected  those  of 
the  most  recent  dates,  searched  in  the  indexes 
for  the  name  "  Harmingeat. ' '  He  found  it 
in  one  of  the  registers  with  a  reference  to 
page  63.  Turning  to  that  page,  he  read : 
"Harmingeat,  40  rue  Chalgrin." 
This  was  followed  by  a  detailed  account  of 
the  work  done  in  and  about  the  installation 
of  a  furnace  in  the  house.  And  in  the  margin 


VERSUS     HERLOCK     SHOLMES 


of  the  book  someone  had  written  these  words  : 
1  <  See  account  M.  B." 

"Ah!  I  thought  so!"  said  Sholmes;  "the 
account  M.  B.  is  the  one  I  want.  I  shall  learn 
from  it  the  actual  residence  of  Monsieur 
Lupin.  '  ' 

It  was  morning  before  he  found  that  im 
portant  account.  It  comprised  sixteen  pages, 
one  of  which  was  a  copy  of  the  page  on  which 
was  described  the  work  done  for  Mon.  Har- 
mingeat  of  the  rue  Chalgrin.  Another  page 
described  the  work  performed  for  Mon.  Vati- 
nel  as  owner  of  the  house  at  No.  25  rue 
Clapeyron.  Another  page  was  reserved  for 
the  Baron  d'Hautrec,  134  avenue  Henri-Mar 
tin;  another  was  devoted  to  the  chateau  de 
Crozon,  and  the  eleven  other  pages  to  various 
owners  of  houses  in  Paris. 

Sholmes  made  a  list  of  those  eleven  names 
and  addresses  ;  after  which  he  returned  the 
books  to  their  proper  places,  opened  a  win 
dow,  jumped  out  onto  the  deserted  street  and 
closed  the  shutters  behind  him. 

When  he  reached  his  room  at  the  hotel  he 
lighted  his  pipe  with  all  the  solemnity  with 
which  he  was  wont  to  characterize  that  act, 
and  amidst  clouds  of  smoke  he  studied  the  de 
ductions  that  might  be  drawn  from  the  ac- 


186  ARSENE     LUPIN 

count  of  M.  B.,  or  rather,  from  the  account  of 
Maxime  Bermond  alias  Arsene  Lupin. 

At  eight  o  'clock  he  sent  the  following  mes 
sage  to  Ganimard : 

"I  expect  to  pass  through  the  rue  Pergolese 
this  forenoon  and  will  inform  you  of  a  per 
son  whose  arrest  is  of  the  highest  importance. 
In  any  event,  be  at  home  tonight  and  tomor 
row  until  noon  and  have  at  least  thirty  men 
at  your  service/' 

Then  he  engaged  an  automobile  at  the  stand 
on  the  boulevard,  choosing  one  whose  chauf 
feur  looked  good-natured  but  dull-witted,  and 
instructed  him  to  drive  to  the  Place  Male- 
sherbes,  where  he  stopped  him  about  one  hun 
dred  feet  from  Monsieur  Destange's  house. 

"My  boy,  close  your  carriage,"  he  said  to 
the  chauffeur;  "turn  up  the  collar  of  your 
coat,  for  the  wind  is  cold,  and  wait  patiently. 
At  the  end  of  an  hour  and  a  half,  crank  up 
your  machine.  When  I  return  we  will  go  to 
the  rue  Pergolese. ' ' 

As  he  was  ascending  the  steps  leading  to 
the  door  a  doubt  entered  his  mind.  Was  it 
not  a  mistake  on  his  part  to  be  spending  his 
time  on  the  affairs  of  the  blonde  Lady,  while 
Arsene  Lupin  was  preparing  to  move  ?  Would 
he  not  be  better  engaged  in  trying  to  find  the 


VERSUS     HERLOCK     SHOLMES  187 


abode  of  his  adversary  amongst  the  eleven 
houses  on  his  list? 

"Ah!"  he  exclaimed,  "when  the  blonde 
Lady  becomes  my  prisoner,  I  shall  be  master 
of  the  situation." 

And  he  rang  the  bell. 

***** 

Monsieur  Destange  was  already  in  the 
library.  They  had  been  working  only  a  few 
minutes,  when  Clotilde  entered,  bade  her 
father  good  morning,  entered  the  adjoining 
parlor  and  sat  down  to  write.  From  his  place 
Sholmes  could  see  her  leaning  over  the  table 
and  from  time  to  time  absorbed  in  deep  medi 
tation.  After  a  short  time  he  picked  up  a 
book  and  said  to  Monsieur  Destange : 

"Here  is  a  book  that  Mademoiselle  Des 
tange  asked  me  to  bring  to  her  when  I 
found  it." 

He  went  into  the  little  parlor,  stood  before 
Clotilde  in  such  a  manner  that  her  father 
could  not  see  her,  and  said : 

"I  am  Monsieur  Stickmann,  your  father's 
new  secretary. ' ' 

"All!"  said  Clotilde,  without  moving,  "my 
father  has  changed  his  secretary!  I  didn't 
know  it." 


188  ARSENE     LUPIN 

"Yes,  mademoiselle,  and  I  desire  to  speak 
with  you." 

' '  Kindly  take  a  seat,  monsieur ;  I  have  fin 
ished.  " 

She  added  a  few  words  to  her  letter,  signed 
it,  enclosed  it  in  the  envelope,  sealed  it, 
pushed  her  writing  material  away,  rang  the 
telephone,  got  in  communication  with  her 
dressmaker,  asked  the  latter  to  hasten  the 
completion  of  a  traveling  dress,  as  she  re 
quired  it  at  once,  and  then,  turning  to 
Sholmes,  she  said: 

"I  am  at  your  service,  monsieur.  But  do 
you  wish  to  speak  before  my  father  ?  Would 
not  that  be  better!" 

"No,  mademoiselle;  and  I  beg  of  you,  do 
not  raise  your  voice.  It  is  better  that  Mon 
sieur  Destange  should  not  hear  us. ' ' 

"For  whose  sake  is  it  better?" 

'  i  Yours,  mademoiselle. ' ' 

"I  cannot  agree  to  hold  any  conversation 
with  you  that  my  father  may  not  hear. ' ' 

"But  you  must  agree  to  this.  It  is  im 
perative.  ' J 

Both  of  them  arose,  eye  to  eye.    She  said  : 

' i  Speak,  monsieur. ' ' 

Still  standing,  he  commenced : 

"You  will  be  so  good  as  to  pardon  me  if  I 


VERSUS     HERLOCK     SHOLMES  189 

am  mistaken  on  certain  points  of  secondary 
importance.  I  will  guarantee,  however,  the 
general  accuracy  of  my  statements. " 

"Can  we  not  dispense  with  these  prelim 
inaries,  monsieur?  Or  are  they  necessary!" 

Sholmes  felt  the  young  woman  was  on  her 
guard,  so  he  replied : 

' '  Very  well ;  I  will  come  to  the  point.  Five 
years  ago  your  father  made  the  acquaintance 
of  a  certain  young  man  called  Maxime  Ber- 
mond,  who  was  introduced  as  a  contractor  or 
an  architect,  I  am  not  sure  which  it  was ;  but 
it  was  one  or  the  other.  Monsieur  Destange 
took  a  liking  to  the  young  man,  and  as  the 
state  of  his  health  compelled  him  to  retire 
from  active  business,  he  entrusted  to  Mon 
sieur  Bermond  the  execution  of  certain  orders 
he  had  received  from  some  of  his  old  custom 
ers  and  which  seemed  to  come  within  the 
scope  of  Monsieur  Bermond 's  ability." 

Herlock  Sholmes  stopped.  It  seemed  to 
him  that  the  girl's  pallor  had  increased.  Yet 
there  was  not  the  slightest  tremor  in  Lar 
voice  when  she  said : 

"I  know  nothing  about  the  circumstances  to 
which  you  refer,  monsieur,  and  I  do  not  see 
in  what  way  they  can  interest  me. ' ' 

"In  this  way,  mademoiselle:  You  know,  as 


190  ARSENE     LUPIN 

well  as  I,  that  Maxime  Bermond  is  also  known 
by  the  name  of  Arsene  Lupin. ' ' 

She  laughed,  and  said : 

"Nonsense!  Arsene  Lupin?  Maxime  Ber 
mond  is  Arsene  Lupin!  Oh !  no !  It  isn't  pos 
sible!" 

"I  have  the  honor  to  inform  you  of  that 
fact,  and  since  you  refuse  to  understand  my 
meaning,  I  will  add  that  Arsene  Lupin  has 
found  in  this  house  a  friend — more  than  a 
friend — and  accomplice,  blindly  and  passion 
ately  devoted  to  him. ' ' 

Without  emotion,  or  at  least  with  so  little 
emotion  that  Sholmes  was  astonished  at  her 
self-control,  she  declared: 

"I  do  not  understand  your  object,  mon 
sieur,  and  I  do  not  care  to;  but  I  command 
you  to  say  no  more  and  leave  this  house." 

"I  have  no  intention  of  forcing  my  pres 
ence  on  you,"  replied  Sholmes,  with  equal 
sang-froid,  "but  I  shall  not  leave  this  house 
alone." 

"And  who  will  accompany  you,  monsieur!" 

"You  will." 
"If" 

"Yes,  mademoiselle,  we  will  leave  this 
house  together,  and  you  will  follow  me  with 
out  one  word  of  protest. ' ' 


VERSUS     HERLOCK     SHOLMES 


The  strange  feature  of  the  foregoing  in 
terview  was  the  absolute  coolness  of  the  two 
adversaries.  It  bore  no  resemblance  to  an 
implacable  duel  between  two  powerful  wills; 
but,  judging  solely  from  their  attitude  and 
the  tone  of  their  voices,  an  onlooker  would 
have  supposed  their  conversation  to  be  noth 
ing  more  serious  than  a  courteous  argument 
over  some  impersonal  subject. 

Clotilde  resumed  her  seat  without  deigning 
to  reply  to  the  last  remark  of  Herlock 
Sholmes,  except  by  a  shrug  of  her  shoulders. 
Sholmes  looked  at  his  watch  and  said  : 

"It  is  half-past  ten.  We  will  leave  here 
in  five  minutes.  " 

"Perhaps/' 

"If  not,  I  shall  go  to  Monsieur  Destange, 
and  tell  him  -  " 

"What?" 

4  '  The  truth.  I  will  tell  him  of  the  vicious 
life  of  Maxime  Bermond,  and  I  will  tell  him 
of  the  double  life  of  his  accomplice." 

"Of  his  accomplice!" 

"Yes,  of  the  woman  known  as  the  blonde 
Lady,  of  the  woman  who  was  blonde." 

"What  proofs  will  you  give  him?" 

"I  will  take  him  to  the  rue  Chalgrin,  and 
show  him  the  secret  passage  made  by  Arsene 


192 


ARSENE     LUPIN 


Lupin's  workmen, — while  doing  the  work  of 
which  he  had  the  control — between  the  houses 
numbered  40  and  42;  the  passage  which  you 
and  he  used  two  nights  ago." 

"Well!" 

"I  will  then  take  Monsieur  Destange  to 
the  house  of  Monsieur  Detinan;  we  will  de 
scend  the  servant's  stairway  which  was  used 
by  you  and  Arsene  Lupin  when  you  escaped 
from  Ganimard,  and  we  will  search  together 
the  means  of  communication  with  the  adjoin 
ing  house,  which  fronts  on  the  Boulevard 
des  Batignolles,  and  not  upon  the  rue 
Clapeyron." 

"Well!"' 

1  'I  will  take  Monsieur  Destange  to  the 
chateau  de  Crozon,  and  it  will  be  easy  for 
him,  who  knows  the  nature  of  the  work  per 
formed  by  Arsene  Lupin  in  the  restoration 
of  the  chateau,  to  discover  the  secret  pas 
sages  constructed  there  by  his  workmen.  It 
will  thus  be  established  that  those  passages 
allowed  the  blonde  Lady  to  make  a  nocturnal 
visit  to  the  Countess  *  room  and  take  the  blue 
diamond  from  the  mantel;  and,  two  weeks 
later,  by  similar  means,  to  enter  the  room 
of  H«rr  Bleichen  and  conceal  the  blue  dia 
mond  in  his  tooth-powder — a  strange  action, 


VERSUS    HERLOCK     SHOLMES  193 

I  confess;  a  woman's  revenge,  perhaps;  but 
I  don't  know,  and  I  don't  care." 

"Well!" 

"After  that,"  said  Herlock  Sholmes,  in  a 
more  serious  tone,  "I  will  take  Monsieur 
Destange  to  134  avenue  Henri-Martin,  and 
we  will  learn  how  the  Baron  d'Hautrec " 

"No,  no,  keep  quiet,"  stammered  the  girl, 
struck  with  a  sudden  terror,  "I  forbid  you! 
.  .  .  you  dare  to  say  that  it  was  I  ... 
you  accuse  me?  .  .  ." 

"I  accuse  you  of  having  killed  the  Baron 
d'Hautrec." 

"No,  no,  it  is  a  lie." 

"You  killed  the  Baron  d'Hautrec,  madem 
oiselle.  You  entered  his  service  under  the 
name  of  Antoinette  Brehat,  for  the  purpose 
of  stealing  the  blue  diamond  and  you  killed 
him." 

"Keep  quiet,  monsieur,"  she  implored 
him.  "Since  you  know  so  much,  you  must 
know  that  I  did  not  murder  the  baron." 

"I  did  not  say  that  you  murdered  him, 
mademoiselle.  Baron  d'Hautrec  was  subject 
to  fits  of  insanity  that  only  Sister  Auguste 
could  control.  She  told  me  so  herself.  In 
her  absence,  he  must  have  attacked  you,  and 
in  the  course  of  the  struggle  you  struck  him 


194  ARSENE     LUPIN 

in  order  to  save  your  own  life.  Frightened 
at  your  awful  situation,  you  rang  the  bell, 
and  fled  without  even  taking  the  blue  diamond 
from  the  finger  of  your  victim.  A  few  min 
utes  later  you  returned  with  one  of  Arsene 
Lupin's  accomplices,  who  was  a  servant  in 
the  adjoining  house,  you  placed  the  baron 
on  the  bed,  you  put  the  room  in  order,  but 
you  were  afraid  to  take  the  blue  diamond. 
Now,  I  have  told  you  what  happened  on  that 
night.  I  repeat,  you  did  not  murder  the 
baron,  and  yet  it  was  your  hand  that  struck 
the  blow."  " 

She  had  crossed  them  over  her  forehead— 
those  long  delicate  white  hands — and  kept 
them  thus  for  a  long  time.  At  last,  loosening 
her  fingers,  she  said,  in  a  voice  rent  by 
anguish : 

"And  do  you  intend  to  tell  all  that  to  my 
father?" 

"Yes;  and  I  will  tell  him  that  I  have  se 
cured  as  witnesses:  Mademoiselle  Gerbois, 
who  will  recognize  the  blonde  Lady;  Sister 
Auguste,  who  will  recognize  Antoinette  Bre- 
hat;  and  the  Countess  de  Crozon,  who  will 
recognize  Madame  de  Real.  That  is  what  I 
shall  tell  him." 

"You  will  not  dare,"  she  said,  recovering 


VERSUS     HERLOCK     SHOLMES  195 

her  self-possession  in  the  face  of  an  imme 
diate  peril. 

He  arose,  and  made  a  step  toward  the  li 
brary.  Clotilde  stopped  him: 

"One  moment,  monsieur." 

She  paused,  reflected  a  moment,  and  then, 
perfect  mistress  of  herself,  said : 

"You  are  Herlock  Sholmesf" 

"Yes." 

"AVhat  do  you  want  of  me?" 

"What  do  I  want!  I  am  fighting  a  duel 
with  Arsene  Lupin,  and  I  must  win.  The 
contest  is  now  drawing  to  a  climax,  and  I 
have  an  idea  that  a  hostage  as  precious  as 
you  will  give  me  an  important  advantage 
over  my  adversary.  Therefore,  you  will  fol 
low  me,  mademoiselle;  I  will  entrust  you  to 
one  of  my  friends.  As  soon  as  the  duel  is 
ended,  you  will  be  set  at  liberty." 

"Is  that  all!" 

4 '  That  is  all.  I  do  not  belong  to  the  police 
service  of  this  country,  and,  consequently,  I 
do  not  consider  that  I  am  under  any  obliga 
tion  ...  to  cause  your  arrest." 

She  appeared  to  have  come  to  a  decision 
.  .  .  yet  she  required  a  momentary  res 
pite.  She  closed  her  eyes,  the  better  to  con 
centrate  her  thoughts.  Sholmes  looked  at 


AKSENE     LUPIN 


her  in  surprise  ;  she  was  now  so  tranquil  and, 
apparently,  indifferent  to  the  dangers  which 
threatened  her.  Sholmes  thought:  Does 
she  believe  that  she  is  in  danger!  Probably 
not  —  since  Lupin  protects  her.  She  has  con 
fidence  in  him.  She  believes  that  Lupin  is 
omnipotent,  and  infallible. 

"Mademoiselle,"  he  said,  "I  told  you  that 
we  would  leave  here  in  five  minutes.  That 
time  has  almost  expired.  " 

"Will  you  permit  me  to  go  to  my  room, 
monsieur,  to  get  some  necessary  articles  1  '  ' 

"Certainly,  mademoiselle;  and  I  will  wait 
for  you  in  the  rue  Montchanin.  Jeanniot,  the 
concierge,  is  a  friend  of  mine.  '  ' 

"Ah!  you  know  .  .  ."  she  said,  vis 
ibly  alarmed. 

'  '  I  know  many  things.  '  ' 

"Very  well.    I  will  ring  for  the  maid." 

The  maid  brought  her  hat  and  jacket. 
Then  Sholmes  said: 

"You  must  give  Monsieur  Destange  some 
reason  for  our  departure,  and,  if  possible, 
let  your  excuse  serve  for  an  absence  of  sev 
eral  days." 

"That  shall  not  be  necessary.  I  shall  be 
back  very  soon.". 


VERSUS     HERLOCK     SHOLMES  197 

They  exchanged  defiant  glances  and  an 
ironic  smile. 

"What  faith  you  have  in  him!"  said 
Sholmes. 

"  Absolute. " 

i  '  He  does  everything  well,  doesn  't  he  1  He 
succeeds  in  everything  he  undertakes.  And 
whatever  he  does  receives  your  approval  and 
cooperation." 

"I  love  him,"  she  said,  with  a  touch  of 
passion  in  her  voice. 

44 And  you  think  that  he  will  save  you!" 

She  shrugged  her  shoulders,  and,  approach 
ing  her  father,  she  said : 

"I  am  going  to  deprive  you  of  Monsieur 
Stickmann.  We  are  going  to  the  National 
Library. ' ' 

"You  will  return  for  luncheon?" 

' i  Perhaps  ...  no,  I  think  not  .  .  . 
but  don 't  be  uneasy. ' ' 

Then  she  said  to  Sholmes,  in  a  firm  voice : 

"I  am  at  your  service,  monsieur." 

"Absolutely?" 

"Quite  so." 

"I  warn  you  that  if  you  attempt  to  escape, 
I  shall  call  the  police  and  have  you  arrested. 
Do  not  forget  that  the  blonde  Lady  is  on 
parole." 


ARSENE     LUPIN 


*  '  1  give  you  my  word  of  honor  that  I  shall 
not  attempt  to  escape.  '  ' 

"I  believe  you.    Now,  let  us  go.'7 

They  left  the  house  together,  as  he  had 
predicted. 

The  automobile  was  standing  where 
Sholmes  had  left  it.  As  they  approached  it, 
Sholmes  could  hear  the  rumbling  of  the  mo 
tor.  He  opened  the  door,  asked  Clotilde  to 
enter,  and  took  a  seat  beside  her.  The  ma 
chine  started  at  once,  gained  the  exterior 
boulevards,  the  avenue  Hoche  and  the  avenue 
de  la  Grande-Armee.  Sholmes  was  consid 
ering  his  plans.  He  thought  : 

"Ganimard  is  at  home.  I  will  leave  the 
girl  in  his  care.  Shall  I  tell  him  who  she  is? 
No,  he  would  take  her  to  prison  at  once,  and 
that  would  spoil  everything.  When  I  am 
alone,  I  can  consult  my  list  of  addresses 
taken  from  the  *  account  M.  B.,'  and  run 
them  down.  To-night,  or  to-morrow  morning 
at  the  latest,  I  shall  go  to  Ganimard,  as  I 
agreed,  and  deliver  into  his  hands  Arsene 
Lupin  and  all  his  band.  '  ' 

He  rubbed  his  hand,  gleefully,  at  the 
thought  that  his  duel  with  Lupin  was  draw 
ing  to  a  close,  and  he  could  not  see  any  se 
rious  obstacle  in  the  way  of  his  success.  And, 


VERSUS     HERLOCK     SHOLMES 


yielding  to  an  irrepressible  desire  to  give 
vent  to  his  feelings  —  an  unusual  desire  on  his 
part  —  he  exclaimed  : 

"Excuse  me,  mademoiselle,  if  I  am  unable 
to  conceal  my  satisfaction  and  delight.  The 
battle  has  been  a  difficult  one,  and  my  success 
is,  therefore,  more  enjoyable." 

"A  legitimate  success,  monsieur,  of  which 
you  have  a  just  right  to  be  proud.  " 

"Thank  you.  But  where  are  we  going? 
The  chauffeur  must  have  misunderstood  my 
directions.  '  ' 

At  that  moment  they  were  leaving  Paris  by 
the  gate  de  Neuilly.  That  was  strange,  as  the 
rue  Pergolese  is  not  outside  the  fortifications. 
Sholmes  lowered  the  glass,  and  said  : 

"Chauffeur,  you  have  made  a  mistake. 
.  .  .  Eue  Pergolese!" 

The  man  made  no  reply.  Sholmes  re 
peated,  in  a  louder  voice  : 

"I  told  you  to  go  to  the  rue  Pergolese." 

Still  the  man  did  not  reply. 

"Ah!  but  you  are  deaf,  my  friend.  Or  is 
he  doing  it  on  purpose?  We  are  very  much 
out  of  our  way.  .  /  .  Eue  Pergolese  ! 
.  .  ,  Turn  back  at  once  !  .  .  *  Eue 
Pergolese  !  "  - 

The   chauffeur  made   no   sign   of  having 


200  ABSENE     LUPIN" 

heard  the  order.  The  Englishman  fretted 
with  impatience.  He  looked  at  Clotilde;  a 
mysterious  smile  played  upon  her  lips. 

"Why  do  you  laugh!"  he  said.  "It  is  an 
awkward  mistake,  but  it  won't  help  you." 

1 1  Of  course  not, ' '  she  replied. 

Then  an  idea  occurred  to  him.  He  rose 
and  made  a  careful  scrutiny  of  the  chauffeur. 
His  shoulders  were  not  so  broad ;  his  bearing 
was  not  so  stiff  and  mechanical.  A  cold  per 
spiration  covered  his  forehead  and  his  hands 
clenched  with  sudden  fear,  as  his  mind  was 
seized  with  the  conviction  that  the  chauffeur 
was  Arsene  Lupin. 

"Well,  Monsieur  Sholmes,  what  do  you 
think  of  our  little  ride?" 

"Delightful,  monsieur,  really  delightful," 
replied  Sholmes. 

Never  in  his  life  had  he  experienced  so 
much  difficulty  in  uttering  a  few  simple 
words  without  a  tremor,  or  without  betray 
ing  his  feelings  in  his  voice.  But  quickly, 
by  a  sort  of  reaction,  a  flood  of  hatred  and 
rage  burst  its  bounds,  overcame  his  self- 
control,  and,  brusquely  drawing  his  revolver, 
he  pointed  it  at  Mademoiselle  Destange. 

"Lupin,  stop,  this  minute,  this  second,  or  I 
fire  at  mademoiselle." 


VERSUS     HERLOCK     SHOLMES  201 

"I  advise  you  to  aim  at  the  cheek  if  you 
wish  to  hit  the  temple, ' '  replied  Lupin,  with 
out  turning  his  head. 

"Maxime,  don't  go  so  fast,"  said  Clotilde, 
"the  pavement  is  slippery  and  I  am  very 
timid. " 

She  was  smiling;  her  eyes  were  fixed  on 
the  pavement,  over  which  the  carriage  was 
traveling  at  enormous  speed. 

"Let  him  stop!  Let  him  stop!"  said 
Sholmes  to  her,  wild  with  rage,  "I  warn  you 
that  I  am  desperate." 

The  barrel  of  the  revolver  brushed  the 
waving  locks  of  her  hair.  She  replied, 
calmly : 

"Maxime  is  so  imprudent.  He  is  going  so 
fast,  I  am  really  afraid  of  some  accident." 

Sholmes  returned  the  weapon  to  his  pocket 
and  seized  the  handle  of  the  door,  as  if  to 
alight,  despite  the  absurdity  of  such  an  act. 
Clotilde  said  to  him : 

"Be  careful,  monsieur,  there  is  an  auto 
mobile  behind  us." 

He  leaned  over.  There  was  an  automo 
bile  close  behind ;  a  large  machine  of  formid 
able  aspect  with  its  sharp  prow  and  blood- 
red  body,  and  holding  four  men  clad  in  fur 
coats. 


202  ARSENE     LUPIN 

"Ah!  I  am  well  guarded,"  thought 
Sholmes.  "I  may  as  well  be  patient." 

He  folded  his  arms  across  his  chest  with 
that  proud  air  of  submission  so  frequently 
assumed  by  heroes  when  fate  has  turned 
against  them.  And  while  they  crossed  the 
river  Seine  and  rushed  through  Suresnes, 
Rueil  and  Chatou,  motionless  and  resigned, 
controlling  his  actions  and  his  passions,  he 
tried  to  explain  to  his  own  satisfaction  by 
what  miracle  Arsene  Lupin  had  substituted 
himself  for  the  chauffeur.  It  was  quite  im 
probable  that  the  honest-looking  fellow  he 
had  selected  on  the  boulevard  that  morning 
was  an  accomplice  placed  there  in  advance. 
And  yet  Arsene  Lupin  had  received  a  warn 
ing  in  some  way,  and  it  must  have  been  after 
he,  Sholmes,  had  approached  Clotilde  in  the 
house,  because  no  one  could  have  suspected 
his  project  prior  to  that  time.  Since  then, 
Sholmes  had  not  allowed  Clotilde  out  of  his 
sight. 

Then  an  idea  struck  him:  the  telephone 
communication  desired  by  Clotilde  and  her 
conversation  with  the  dressmaker.  Now,  it 
was  all  quite  clear  to  him.  Even  before  he 
had  spoken  to  her,  simply  upon  his  request 
to  speak  to  her  as  the  new  secretary  of  Mon- 


VERSUS     HERLOCK     SHOLMES  203 

sieur  Destange,  she  had  scented  the  danger, 
surmised  the  name  and  purpose  of  the  visitor, 
and,  calmly,  naturally,  as  if  she  were  per 
forming  a  commonplace  action  of  her  every 
day  life,  she  had  called  Arsene  Lupin  to  her 
assistance  by  some  preconcerted  signal. 

How  Arsene  Lupin  had  come  and  caused 
himself  to  be  substituted  for  the  chauffeur 
were  matters  of  trifling  importance.  That 
which  affected  Sholmes,  even  to  the  point  of 
appeasing  his  fury,  was  the  recollection  of 
that  incident  whereby  an  ordinary  woman, 
a  sweetheart  it  is  true,  mastering  her  nerves, 
controlling  her  features,  and  subjugating  the 
expression  of  her  eyes,  had  completely  de 
ceived  the  astute  detective  Herlock  Sholmes. 
How  difficult  to  overcome  an  adversary  who 
is  aided  by  such  confederates,  and  who,  by 
the  mere  force  of  his  authority,  inspires  in  a 
woman  so  much  courage  and  strength ! 

They  crossed  the  Seine  and  climbed  the 
hill  at  Saint-Germain ;  but,  some  five  hundred 
metres  beyond  that  town,  the  automobile 
slackened  its  speed.  The  other  automobile 
advanced,  and  the  two  stopped,  side  by  side. 
There  was  no  one  else  in  the  neighborhood. 

"Monsieur  Sholmes,"  said  Lupin,  "kindly 


204 


AESENE     LUPIX 


exchange  to  the  other  machine.  Ours  is  really 
a  very  slow  one.'* 

"  Indeed  1"  said  Sholmes,  calmly,  convinced 
that  he  had  no  choice. 

"Also,  permit  me  to  loan  you  a  fur  coat, 
as  we  will  travel  quite  fast  and  the  air  is  cool. 
And  accept  a  couple  of  sandwiches,  as  we 
cannot  tell  when  we  will  dine. ' ' 

The  four  men  alighted  from  the  other  au 
tomobile.  One  of  them  approached,  and,  as 
he  raised  his  goggles,  Sholmes  recognized  in 
him  the  gentleman  in  the  frock  coat  that  he 
had  seen  at  the  Hungarian  restaurant.  Lupin 
said  to  him: 

'  i  You  will  return  this  machine  to  the  chauf 
feur  from  whom  I  hired  it.  He  is  waiting  in 
the  first  wine-shop  to  the  right  as  you  go  up 
the  rue  Legendre.  You  will  give  him  the  bal 
ance  of  the  thousand  francs  I  promised  him. 
.  .  .  Ah !  yes,  kindly  give  your  goggles  to 
Monsieur  Sholmes. ' ' 

He  talked  to  Mile.  Destange  for  a  moment, 
then  took  his  place  at  the  wheel  and  started, 
with  Sholmes  at  his  side  and  one  of  his  men 
behind  him.  Lupin  had  not  exaggerated 
when  he  said  "we  will  travel  quite  fast. " 
From  the  beginning  he  set  a  breakneck  pace. 
The  horizon  rushed  to  meet  them,  as  if  at- 


VERSUS    HERLOCK     SHOLMES  205 

traded  by  some  mysterious  force,  and  dis 
appeared  instantly  as  though  swallowed  up 
in  an  abyss,  into  which  many  other  things, 
such  as  trees,  houses,  fields  and  forests,  were 
hurled  with  the  tumultuous  fury  and  haste 
of  a  torrent  as  it  approached  the  cataract. 

Sholmes  and  Lupin  did  not  exchange  a 
word.  Above  their  heads  the  leaves  of  the 
poplars  made  a  great  noise  like  the  waves  of 
the  sea,  rhythmically  arranged  by  the  regular 
spacing  of  the  trees.  And  the  towns  swept 
by  like  spectres:  Manteo,  Vernon,  Gaillon. 
From  one  hill  to  the  other,  from  Bon-Secours 
to  Canteleu,  Eouen.  its  suburbs,  its  harbor, 
its  miles  of  wharves,  Eouen  seemed  like  the 
straggling  street  of  a  country  village.  And 
this  was  Duclair,  Caudebec,  the  country  of 
Caux  which  they  skimmed  over  in  their  ter 
rific  flight,  and  Lillebonne,  and  Quillebeuf. 
Then,  suddenly,  they  found  themselves  on 
the  banks  of  the  Seine,  at  the  extremity  of  a 
little  wharf,  beside  which  lay  a  staunch  sea 
going  yacht  that  emitted  great  volumes  of 
black  smoke  from  its  funnel. 

The  automobile  stopped.  In  two  hours 
they  had  traveled  over  forty  leagues. 

A  man,  wearing  a  blue  uniform  and  a  gold- 


206 


ARSENE     LUPIN 


laced  cap,  came  forward  and  saluted. 
Lupin  said  to  him: 

"All  ready,  captain?  Did  you  receive  iny 
telegram!" 

"Yes,  I  got  it." 

"Is  The  Swallow  ready! " 

"Yes,  monsieur." 

"Come,  Monsieur  Sholnies." 

The  Englishman  looked  around,  saw  a 
group  of  people  on  the  terrace  in  front  of  a 
cafe,  hesitated  a  moment,  then,  realizing  that 
before  he  could  secure  any  assistance  he 
would  be  seized,  carried  aboard  and  placed  in 
the  bottom  of  the  hold,  he  crossed  the  gang 
plank  and  followed  Lupin  into  the  captain's 
cabin.  It  was  quite  a  large  room,  scrupu 
lously  clean,  and  presented  a  cheerful  ap 
pearance  with  its  varnished  woodwork  and 
polished  brass.  Lupin  closed  the  door  and 
addressed  Sholmes  abruptly,  and  almost 
rudely,  as  he  said: 

"Well,  what  do  you  know?" 

"Everything." 

4  *  Every  thing  ?    Come,  be  precise. ' ' 

His  voice  contained  no  longer  that  polite, 
if  ironical,  tone,  which  he  had  affected  when 
speaking  to  the  Englishman.  Now,  his  voice 
had  the  imperious  tone  of  a  master  accus- 


VERSUS    HERLOCK     SHOLMES  207 

tomed  to  command  and  accustomed  to  be 
obeyed — even  by  a  Herlock  Sholmes.  They 
measured  each  other  by  their  looks,  enemies 
now — open  and  implacable  foes.  Lupin 
spoke  again,  but  in  a  milder  tone : 

'  *  I  have  grown  weary  of  your  pursuit,  and 
do  not  intend  to  waste  any  more  time  in 
avoiding  the  traps  you  lay  for  me.  I  warn 
you  that  my  treatment  of  you  will  depend  on 
your  reply.  Now,  what  do  you  know!" 

"Everything,  monsieur." 

Arsene  Lupin  controlled  his  temper  and 
said,  in  a  jerky  manner : 

t  '  1  will  tell  you  what  you  know.  You  know 
that,  under  the  name  of  Maxime  Bermond,  I 
have  .  .  .  improved  fifteen  houses  that  were 
originally  constructed  by  Monsieur  Des- 
tange." 

"Yes." 

4 'Of  those  fifteen  houses,  you  have  seen 
four." 

"Yes." 

"And  you  have  a  list  of  the  other  eleven." 

"Yes." 

"You  made  that  list  at  Monsieur  Des- 
tange's  house  on  that  night,  no  doubt." 

"Yes." 

c  *  And  you  have  an  idea  that,  amongst  those 


ARSENE     LUPIN 


eleven  houses,  there  is  one  that  I  have  kept 
for  the  use  of  myself  and  my  friends,  and  you 
have  intrusted  to  Ganimard  the  task  of  find 
ing  my  retreat." 

"No." 

t  <  What  does  that  signify  f  '  ' 

"It  signifies  that  I  choose  to  act  alone,  and 
do  not  want  his  help." 

4  '  Then  I  have  nothing  to  fear,  since  you  are 
in  my  hands." 

"You  have  nothing  to  fear  as  long  as  I  re 
main  in  your  hands." 

"You  mean  that  you  will  not  remain?" 

"Yes." 

Arsene  Lupin  approached  the  Englishman 
and,  placing  his  hand  on  the  latter  's  shoulder, 
said: 

'  '  Listen,  monsieur  ;  I  am  not  in  a  humor  to 
argue  with  you,  and,  unfortunately  for  you, 
you  are  not  in  a  position  to  choose.  So  let  us. 
finish  our  business." 

"Very  well." 

"You  are  going  to  give  me  your  word  of 
honor  that  you  will  not  try  to  escape  from 
this  boat  until  you  arrive  in  English  waters." 

"I  give  you  my  word  of  honor  that  I  shall 
escape  if  I  have  an  opportunity,"  replied  the 
indomitable  Sholmes. 


VERSUS     HERLOCK     SHOLMES  209 

i  t  But,  sapristi !  you  know  quite  well  that  at 
a  word  from  me  you  would  soon  be  rendered 
helpless.  All  these  men  will  obey  me  blindly. 
At  a  sign  from  me  they  would  place  you  in 
irons " 

' i  Irons  can  be  broken. ' ' 

' '  And  throw  you  overboard  ten  miles  from 
shore. ' ' 

"I  can  swim." 

"I  hadn't  thought  of  that,"  said  Lupin, 
with  a  laugh.  "Excuse  me,  master  .  .  . 
and  let  us  finish.  You  will  agree  that  I  must 
take  the  measures  necessary  to  protect  my 
self  and  my  friends." 

6  i  Certainly ;  but  they  will  be  useless. ' ' 

"And  yet  you  do  not  wish  me  to  take 
them." 

"It  is  your  duty." 

"Very  well,  then." 

Lupin  opened  the  door  and  called  the  cap 
tain  and  two  sailors.  The  latter  seized  the 
Englishman,  bound  him  hand  and  foot,  and 
tied  him  to  the  captain's  bunk. 

' '  That  will  do, ' '  said  Lupin.  < '  It  was  only 
on  account  of  your  obstinacy  and  the  unusual 
gravity  of  the  situation,  that  I  ventured  to 
offer  you  this  indignity." 


210 


ARSENE     LUPIN 


The  sailors  retired.  Lupin  said  to  the  cap 
tain  :  , 

"Let  one  of  the  crew  remain  here  to  look 
after  Monsieur  Sholmes,  and  you  can  give 
him  as  much  of  your  own  company  as  possi 
ble.  Treat  him  with  all  due  respect  and  con 
sideration.  He  is  not  a  prisoner,  but  a  guest. 
What  time  have  you,  captain! " 

"Five  minutes  after  two." 

Lupin  consulted  his  watch,  then  looked  at 
the  clock  that  was  attached  to  the  wall  of  the 
cabin. 

' '  Five  minutes  past  two  is  right.  How  long 
will  it  take  you  to  reach  Southampton?" 

"Nine  hours,  easy  going." 

i  i  Make  it  eleven.  You  must  not  land  there 
until  after  the  departure  of  the  midnight  boat, 
which  reaches  Havre  at  eight  o'clock  in  the 
morning.  Do  you  understand,  captain!  Let 
me  repeat :  As  it  would  be  very  dangerous  for 
all  of  us  to  permit  Monsieur  to  return  to 
France  by  that  boat,  you  must  not  reach 
Southampton  before  one  o'clock  in  the  morn 
ing." 

"I  understand." 

"Au  revoir,  master;  next  year,  in  this 
world  or  in  the  next. "  > 

"Until  to-morrow,"  replied  Sholmes. 


VERSUS     HERLOCK     SHOLMES 


A  few  minutes  later  Sholmes  heard  the 
automobile  going  away,  and  at  the  same  time 
the  steam  puffed  violently  in  the  depths  of 
The  Swallow.  The  boat  had  started  for  Eng 
land.  About  three  o'clock  the  vessel  left  the 
mouth  of  the  river  and  plunged  into  the  open 
sea.  At  that  moment  Sholmes  was  lying  on 

the  captain's  bunk,  sound  asleep. 

#.###» 

Next  morning  —  it  being  the  tenth  and  last 
day  of  the  duel  between  Sholmes  and  Lupin— 
the  Echo  de  France  published  this  interesting 
bit  of  news  : 

"Yesterday  a  judgment  of  ejectment  was 
entered  in  the  case  of  Arsene  Lupin  against 
Herlock  Sholmes,  the  English  detective. 
Although  signed  at  noon,  the  judgment  was 
executed  the  same  day.  At  one  o'clock  this 
morning  Sholmes  was  landed  at  Southamp 
ton.  " 


CHAPTER  VI. 

SECOND  ARREST   OF   ARSENE   LUPIN. 

INGE  eight  o'clock  a  dozen  moving- 
vans  had  encumbered  the  rue  Crevaux 
between  the  avenue  du  Bois-de-Bou- 
logne  and  the  avenue  Bugeaud.  Mon.  Felix 
Davey  was  leaving  the  apartment  in  which  he 
lived  on  the  fourth  floor  of  No.  8;  and  Mon. 
Dubreuil,  who  had  united  into  a  single  apart 
ment  the  fifth  floor  of  the  same  house  and  the 
fifth  floor  of  the  two  adjoining  houses,  was 
moving  on  the  same  day — a  mere  coincidence, 
since  the  gentlemen  were  unknown  to  each 
other — the  vast  collection  of  furniture  regard 
ing  which  so  many  foreign  agents  visited  him 
every  day. 

A  circumstance  which  had  been  noticed  by 
some  of  the  neighbors,  but  was  not  spoken  of 
until  later,  was  this :  None  of  the  twelve  vans 
bore  the  name  and  address  of  the  owner,  and 
none  of  the  men  accompanying  them  visited 
the  neighboring  wine  shops.  They  worked  so 
diligently  that  the  furniture  was  all  out  by 
eleven  o'clock.  Nothing  remained  but  those 
212 


VERSUS     HERLOCK     SHOLMES  213 

scraps  of  papers  and  rags  that  are  always  left 
behind  in  the  corners  of  the  empty  rooms. 

Mon.  Felix  Davey,  an  elegant  young  man, 
dressed  in  the  latest  fashion,  carried  in  his 
hand  a  walking-stick,  the  weight  of  which  in 
dicated  that  its  owner  possessed  extraor 
dinary  biceps — Mon.  Felix  Davey  walked 
calmly  away  and  took  a  seat  on  a  bench  in 
the  avenue  du  Bois-de-Boulogne  facing  the 
rue  Pergolese.  Close  to  him  a  woman,  dressed 
in  a  neat  but  inexpensive  costume,  was  read 
ing  a  newspaper,  whilst  a  chilcl  was  playing 
with  a  shovel  in  a  heap  of  sand. 

After  a  few  minutes  Felix  Davey  spoke  to 
the  woman,  without  turning  his  head : 

"Ganimard?" 

"Went  out  at  nine  o'clock  this  morning." 

"Where?" 

"To  police  headquarters." 

"Alone?" 

"Yes." 

*  '  No  telegram  during  the  night  f ' ' 

"No." 

"Do  they  suspect  you  in  the  house?" 

"No;  I  do  some  little  things  for  Madame 
Ganimard,  and  she  tells  me  everything  her 
husband  does.  I  have  been  with  her  all  morn 
ing." 


214  ARSENE     LUPIN 

'  i  Very  well.  Until  further  orders  come  here 
every  day  at  eleven  o'clock/' 

He  rose  and  walked  away  in  the  direction 
of  the  Dauphine  gate,  stopping  at  the  Chinese 
pavilion,  where  he  partook  of  a  frugal  repast 
consisting  of  two  eggs,  with  some  fruit  and 
vegetables.  Then  he  returned  to  the  rue 
Crevaux  and  said  to  the  concierge : 

"I  will  just  glance  through  the  rooms  and 
then  give  you  the  keys. ' ' 

He  finished  his  inspection  of  the  room  that 
he  had  used  as  a  library;  then  he  seized  the 
end  of  a  gas-pipe,  which  hung  down  the  side 
of  the  chimney.  The  pipe  was  bent  and  a  hole 
made  in  the  elbow.  To  this  hole  he  fitted  a 
small  instrument  in  the  form  of  an  ear-trum 
pet  and  blew  into  it.  A  slight  whistling  sound 
came  by  way  of  reply.  Placing  the  trumpet 
to  his  mouth,  he  said: 

1  i  Anyone  around,  Dubreuil  ? ' ' 

"No." 

' '  May  I  come  up  ?  " 

"Tea." 

He  returned  the  pipe  to  its  place,  saying  to 
himself : 

' '  How  progressive  we  are !  Our  century 
abounds  with  little  inventions  which  render 
life  really  charming  and  picturesque.  And 


VERSUS     HERLOCK     SHOLMES  215 

so  amusing !    .    .    .    especially  when  a  person 
knows  how  to  enjoy  life  as  I  do. ' ' 

He  turned  one  of  the  marble  mouldings  of 
the  mantel,  and  the  entire  half  of  the  mantel 
moved,  and  the  mirror  above  it  glided  in  in 
visible  grooves,  disclosing  an  opening  and  the 
lower  steps  of  a  stairs  built  in  the  very  body 
of  the  chimney ;  all  very  clean  and  complete— 
the  stairs  were  constructed  of  polished  metal 
and  the  walls  of  white  tiles.  He  ascended  the 
steps,  and  at  the  fifth  floor  there  was  the  same 
opening  in  the  chimney.  Mon.  Dubreuil  was 
waiting  for  him. 

"Have  you  finished  in  your  rooms!" 

"Yes." 

* '  Everything  cleared  out ! ' ' 

"Yes." 

"And  the  people!" 

"Only  the  three  men  on  guard." 

1 '  Very  well ;  come  on. ' ' 

They  ascended  to  the  upper  floor  by  the 
same  means,  one  after  the  other,  and  there 
found  three  men,  one  of  whom  was  looking 
through  the  window. 

"Any thing  new!" 

i '  Nothing,  governor. ' ' 

"All  quiet  in  the  street V 

"Yes." 


216  ARSENE     LUPIN 

"In  ten  minutes  I  will  be  ready  to  leave. 
You  will  go  also.  But  in  the  meantime  if  you 
see  the  least  suspicious  movement  in  the 
street,  warn  me. ' ' 

' '  I  have  my  finger  on  the  alarm-bell  all  the 
time." 

i '  Dubreuil,  did  you  tell  the  moving  men  not 
to  touch  the  wire  of  that  bell  ? ' ' 

"Certainly;  it  is  working  all  right." 

' i  That  is  all  I  want  to  know. ' ' 

The  two  gentlemen  then  descended  to  the 
apartment  of  Felix  Davey  and  the  latter, 
after  adjusting  the  marble  mantel,  exclaimed, 
joyfully: 

* i  Dubreuil,  I  should  like  to  see  the  man  who 
is  able  to  discover  all  the  ingenious  devices, 
warning  bells,  net-works  of  electric  wires  and 
acoustic  tubes,  invisible  passages,  moving 
floors  and  hidden  stairways.  A  real  fairy 
land!" 

"What  fame  for  Arsene  Lupin!" 

"Fame  I  could  well  dispense  with.  It's  a 
pity  to  be  compelled  to  leave  a  place  so  well 
equipped,  and  commence  all  over  again,  Dub 
reuil  .  .  .  and  on  a  new  model,  of  course, 
for  it  would  never  do  to  duplicate  this.  Curse 
Herlock  Sholmes ! ' ' 

"Has  he  returned  to  Paris!" 


VERSUS     HERLOCK     SHOLMES  217 

"How  could  he?  There  has  been  only  one 
boat  come  from  Southampton  and  it  left  there 
at  midnight ;  only  one  train  from  Havre,  leav 
ing  there  at  eight  o'clock  this  morning  and 
due  in  Paris  at  eleven  fifteen.  As  he  could  not 
catch  the  midnight  boat  at  Southampton— 
and  the  instructions  to  the  captain  on  that 
point  were  explicit — he  cannot  reach  France 
until  this  evening  via  Newhaven  and  Dieppe. ' ' 

' '  Do  you  think  he  will  come  back  1 ' ' 

"Yes;  he  never  gives  up.  He  will  return 
to  Paris ;  but  it  will  be  too  late.  We  will  be 
far  away." 

"And  Mademoiselle  Destange?" 

i  i  I  am  to  see  her  in  an  hour. ' ' 

"At  her  house!" 

4  i  Oh !  no ;  she  will  not  return  there  for  sev 
eral  days.  But  you,  Dubreuil,  you  must  hur 
ry.  The  loading  of  our  goods  will  take  a  long 
time  and  you  should  be  there  to  look  after 
them." 

"Are  you  sure  that  we  are  not  being 
watched?" 

"By  whom?  I  am  not  afraid  of  anyone 
but  Sholmes." 

Dubreuil  retired.  Felix  Davey  made  a  last 
tour  of  the  apartment,  picked  up  two  or  three 
torn  letters,  then,  noticing  a  piece  of  chalk,  he 


218  ARSENE     LUPIN 

took  it  and,  on  the  dark  paper  of  the  drawing- 
room,  drew  a  large  frame  and  wrote  within  it 
the  following : 

"Arsene  Lupin,  gentleman-burglar,  lived 
here  for  five  years  at  the  beginning  of  the 
twentieth  century/' 

This  little  pleasantry  seemed  to  please  him 
very  much.  He  looked  at  it  for  a  moment, 
whistling  a  lively  air,  then  said  to  himself : 

"Now  that  I  have  placed  myself  in  touch 
with  the  historians  of  future  generations,  I 
can  go.  You  must  hurry,  Herlock  Sholmes,  as 
I  shall  leave  my  present  abode  in  three  min 
utes,  and  your  defeat  will  be  an  accomplished 
fact  .  .  .  Two  minutes  more !  you  are  keep 
ing  me  waiting,  Monsieur  Sholmes.  .  .  .  One 
minute  more!  Are  you  not  coming?  Well, 
then,  I  proclaim  your  downfall  and  my 
apotheosis.  And  now  I  make  my  escape. 
Farewell,  kingdom  of  Arsene  Lupin !  I  shall 
never  see  you  again.  Farewell  to  the  fifty- 
five  rooms  of  the  six  apartments  over  which 
I  reigned!  Farewell,  my  own  royal  bed 
chamber ! ' ' 

His  outburst  of  joy  was  interrupted  by  the 
sharp  ringing  of  a  bell,  which  stopped  twice, 
started  again  and  then  ceased.  It  was  the 
alarm  bell. 


VERSUS     HERLOCK     SHOLMES  219 

What  was  wrong?  What  unforeseen 
danger?  Ganimard!  No;  that  wasn't  possi 
ble! 

He  was  on  the  point  of  returning  to  his 
library  and  making  his  escape.  But,  first,  he 
went  to  the  window.  There  was  no  one  in  the 
street.  W^as  the  enemy  already  in  the  house? 
He  listened  and  thought  he  could  discern  cer 
tain  confused  sounds.  He  hesitated  no  longer. 
He  ran  to  his  library,  and  as  he  crossed  the 
threshold  he  heard  the  noise  of  a  key  being 
inserted  in  the  lock  of  the  vestibule  door. 

"The  deuce!"  he  murmured;  "I  have  no 
time  to  lose.  The  house  may  be  surrounded. 
The  servants'  stairway — impossible!  For 
tunately,  there  is  the  chimney." 

He  pushed  the  moulding;  it  did  not  move. 
He  made  a  greater  effort — still  it  refused  to 
move.  At  the  same  time  he  had  the  impres 
sion  that  the  door  below  opened  and  that  he 
could  hear  footsteps. 

"Good  God!"  he  cried;  "I  am  lost  if  this 
cursed  mechanism- 
He  pushed  with  all  his  strength.  Nothing 
moved — nothing!  By  some  incredible  acci 
dent,  by  some  evil  stroke  of  fortune,  the  mech 
anism,  which  had  worked  only  a  few  moments 
ago,  would  not  work  now. 


220  ARSENE    LUPIN 

He  was  furious.  The  block  of  marble  re 
mained  immovable.  He  uttered  frightful  im 
precations  on  the  senseless  stone.  Was  his 
escape  to  be  prevented  by  that  stupid  ob 
stacle  ?  He  struck  the  marble  wildly,  madly ; 
he  hammered  it,  he  cursed  it. 

"Ah!  what's  the  matter,  Monsieur  Lupin! 
You  seem  to  be  displeased  about  something. " 

Lupin   turned    around.    Herlock   Sholmes 

stood  before  him! 

***** 

Herlock  Sholmes!  .  .  .  Lupin  gazed  at 
him  with  squinting  eyes  as  if  his  sight  were 
defective  and  misleading.  Herlock  Sholmes 
in  Paris!  Herlock  Sholmes,  whom  he  had 
shipped  to  England  only  the  day  before  as  a 
dangerous  person,  now  stood  before  him  free 
and  victorious !  .  .  .  Ah !  such  a  thing  was 
nothing  less  than  a  miracle ;  it  was  contrary 
to  all  natural  laws ;  it  was  the  culmination  of 
all  that  is  illogical  and  abnormal  .  .  .  Her 
lock  Sholmes  here — before  his  face ! 

And  when  the  Englishman  spoke  his  words 
were  tinged  with  that  keen  sarcasm  and  mock 
ing  politeness  with  which  his  adversary  had 
so  often  lashed  him.  He  said : 

"Monsieur  Lupin,  in  the  first  place  I  have 
the  honor  to  inform  you  that  at  this  time  and 


VERSUS     HERLOCK     SHOLMES 

place  I  blot  from  my  memory  forever  all 
thoughts  of  the  miserable  night  that  you 
forced  rne  to  endure  in  the  house  of  Baron. 
d'Hautrec,  of  the  injury  done  to  my  friend 
Wilson,  of  my  abduction  in  the  automobile, 
and  of  the  voyage  I  took  yesterday  under 
your  orders,  bound  to  a  very  uncomfortable 
couch.  But  the  joy  of  this  moment  effaces  all 
those  bitter  memories.  I  forgive  everything. 
I  forget  everything — I  wipe  out  the  debt.  I 
am  paid — and  royally  paid. ' ' 

Lupin  made  no  reply.  So  the  Englishman 
continued : 

" Don't  you  think  so  yourself?" 

He  appeared  to  insist  as  if  demanding  an 
acquiescence,  as  a  sort  of  receipt  in  regard  to 
the  part. 

After  a  moment's  reflection,  during  which 
the  Englishman  felt  that  he  was  scrutinized 
to  the  very  depth  of  his  soul,  Lupin  declared : 

* '  I  presume,  monsieur,  that  your  conduct  is 
based  upon  serious  motives?" 

"Very  serious." 

'  <  The  fact  that  you  have  escaped  from  my 
captain  and  his  crew  is  only  a  secondary  in 
cident  of  our  struggle.  But  the  fact  that  you 
are  here  before  me  alone — understand,  alone 
— face  to  face  with  Arsene  Lupin,  leads  me  to 


222 


ARSENE     LUPIN 


think  that  your  revenge  is  as  complete  as  pos 
sible/' 

"As  complete  as  possible." 

"This  house?" 

"Surrounded." 

"The  two  adjoining  houses!" 

'  '  Surrounded. ' ' 

'  i  The  apartment  above  this  ? ' ' 

"The  three  apartments  on  the  fifth  floor 
that  were  formerly  occupied  by  Monsieur 
Dubreuil  are  surrounded. ' ' 

"So  that " 

"So  that  you  are  captured,  Monsieur 
Lupin — absolutely  captured." 

The  feelings  that  Sholmes  had  experienced 
during  his  trip  in  the  automobile  were  now 
suffered  by  Lupin,  the  same  concentrated 
fury,  the  same  revolt,  and  also,  let  us  admit, 
th'v  £: .! :..e  loyalty  of  submission  to  force  of 
circumstances.  Equally  brave  in  victory  or 
defeat. 

"Our  accounts  are  squared,  monsieur," 
said  Lupin,  frankly. 

The  Englishman  was  pleased  with  that  con 
fession.  After  a  short  silence  Lupin,  now 
quite  self-possessed,  said  smiling: 

"And  I  am  not  sorry !  It  becomes  monoton 
ous  to  win  all  the  time.  Yesterday  I  had  only 


VERSUS     HERLOCK     SHOLMES  223 

to  stretch  out  my  hand  to  finish  you  forever. 
Today  I  belong  to  you.  The  game  is  yours. ' ' 

Lupin  laughed  heartily  and  then  continued : 

"At  last  the  gallery  will  be  entertained! 
Lupin  in  prison!  How  will  he  get  out!  In 
prison!  .  .  .  What  an  adventure!  .  .  . 
Ah !  Sholmes,  life  is  just  one  damn  thing  after 
another ! ' ' 

He  pressed  his  closed  hands  to  his  temples 
as  if  to  suppress  the  tumultuous  joy  that 
surged  within  him,  and  his  actions  indicated 
that  he  was  moved  by  an  uncontrollable 
mirth.  At  last,  when  he  had  recovered  his 
self-possession,  he  approached  the  detective 
and  said : 

"And  now  what  are  you  waiting  for?" 

' '  What  am  I  waiting  f or  !  " 

' ;  Yes ;  Ganimard  is  here  with  his  men— why 
don't  they  come  in!" 

"I  asked  him  not  to." 

"And  he  consented!" 

"I  accepted  his  services  on  condition  that 
he  would  be  guided  by  me.  Besides,  he  thinks 
that  Felix  Davey  is  only  an  accomplice  of 
Arsene  Lupin." 

'  '  Then  I  will  repeat  my  question  in  another 
form.  Why  did  you  come  in  alone  ! ' ' 

"Because  I  wished  to  speak  to  you  alone." 


224 


ARSENE     LUPIN 


"Ah!  ah!  you  have  something  to  say  to 
me." 

That  idea  seemed  to  please  Lupin  im 
mensely.  There  are  certain  circumstances  in 
which  words  are  preferable  to  deeds, 

"Monsieur  Sholmes,  I  am  sorry  I  cannot 
offer  you  an  easy  chair.  How  would  you  like 
that  broken  box  1  Or  perhaps  you  would  pre 
fer  the  window  ledge?  I  am  sure  a  glass  of 
beer  would  be  welcome  .  .  .  light  or  dark  ? 
.  .  .  But  sit  down,  please. ' ' 

"Thank  you;  we  can  talk  as  well  standing 
up." 

"Very  well — proceed." 

"I  will  be  brief.  The  object  of  my  sojourn 
in  France  was  not  to  accomplish  your  arrest. 
If  I  have  been  led  to  pursue  you,  it  was  be 
cause  I  saw  no  other  way  to  achieve  my  real 
object. ' ' 

"Which  was!" 

'  '  To  recover  the  blue  diamond. ' ' 

"The  blue  diamond!" 

"Certainly;  since  the  one  found  in  Herr 
Bleichen's  tooth-powder  was  only  an  imita 
tion." 

"Quite  right;  the  genuine  diamond  was 
taken  by  the  blonde  Lady.  I  made  an  exact 
duplicate  of  it  and  then,  as  I  had  designs  on 


VERSUS     IIERLOCK     SHOLMES  225 

other  jewels  belonging  to  the  Countess  and 
as  the  Consul  Herr  Bleichen  was  already 
under  suspicion,  the  aforesaid  blonde  Lady, 
in  order  to  avert  suspicion,  slipped  the  false 
stone  into  the  aforesaid  Consul's  luggage/' 

"While  you  kept  the  genuine  diamond? " 

"Of  course. " 

"That  diamond— I  want  it." 

"I  am  very  sorry,  but  it  is  impossible. " 

"I  have  promised  it  to  the  Countess  de 
Crozon.  I  must  have  it." 

"How  will  you  get  it,  since  it  is  in  my 
possession  !" 

"That  is  precisely  the  reason — because  it 
is  in  your  possession. " 

"Oh!  I  am  to  give  it  to  you!" 

"Yes." 

"Voluntarily!" 

"I  will  buy  it." 

"Ah!"  exclaimed  Lupin,  in  an  access  of 
mirth,  "you  are  certainly  an  Englishman. 
You  treat  this  as  a  matter  of  business. ' ' 

"It  is  a  matter  of  business." 

"Well!  what  is  your  off  erf" 

"The  liberty  of  Mademoiselle  Destange." 

"Her  liberty?  ...  I  didn't  know  she 
was  under  arrest." 

"I  will  give  Monsieur  Ganimard  the  nee- 


226  ARSENE     LUPIN" 

essary  information.  When  deprived  of  your 
protection,  she  can  readily  be  taken." 

Lupin  laughed  again,  and  said : 

4 'My  dear  monsieur,  you  are  offering  me 
something  you  do  not  possess.  Mademoiselle 
Destange  is  in  a  place  of  safety,  and  has 
nothing  to  fear.  You  must  make  me  another 
offer." 

The  Englishman  hesitated,  visibly  embar 
rassed  and  vexed.  Then,  placing  his  hand  on 
the  shoulder  of  his  adversary,  he  said : 

"And  if  I  should  propose  to  you " 

"My  liberty?" 

"No  .  .  .  but  I  can  leave  the  room  to 
consult  with  Ganimard. ' ' 

"And  leave  me  alone!" 

"Yes." 

"Ah!  mon  dieu,  what  good  would  that  be? 
The  cursed  mechanism  will  not  work,"  said 
Lupin,  at  the  same  time  savagely  pushing 
the  moulding  of  the  mantel.  He  stifled  a  cry 
of  surprise ;  this  time  fortune  favored  him — 
the  block  of  marble  moved.  It  was  his  salva 
tion  ;  his  hope  of  escape.  In  that  event,  why 
submit  to  the  conditions  imposed  by  Sholmes  1 
He  paced  up  and  down  the  room,  as  if  he 
were  considering  his  reply.  Then,  in  his 


VERSUS    HEELOCK     SHOLMES  227 

turn,  he  placed  his  hand  on  the  shoulder  of 
his  adversary,  and  said : 

"All  things  considered.  Monsieur  Sholmes, 
I  prefer  to  do  my  own  business  in  my  own 
way." 

"But " 

"No,  I  don't  require  anyone's  assistance. " 

"When  Ganimard  gets  his  hand  on  you,  it 
will  be  all  over.  You  can't  escape  from 
them." 

"Who  knows?" 

"Come,  that  is  foolish.  Every  door  and 
window  is  guarded." 

"Except  one." 

"Which?" 

"The  one  I  will  choose." 

"Mere  words!  Your  arrest  is  as  good  as 
made." 

"Oh!  no— not  at  all." 

"Well?" 

"I  shall  keep  the  blue  diamond." 

Sholmes  looked  at  his  watch,  and  said : 

"It  is  now  ten  minutes  to  three.  At  three 
o  'clock  I  shall  call  Ganimard. ' ' 

"Well,  then,  we  have  ten  minutes  to  chat. 
And  to  satisfy  my  curiosity,  Monsieur 
Sholmes,  I  should  like  to  know  how  you  pro- 


228 


ARSENE     LUPIN 


cured  my  address  and  my  name  of  Felix 
Davey?" 

Although  his  adversary's  easy  manner 
caused  Sholmes  some  anxiety,  he  was  willing 
to  give  Lupin  the  desired  information  since 
it  reflected  credit  on  his  professional  astute 
ness  ;  so  he  replied : 

i 'Your  address!  I  got  it  from  the  blonde 
Lady." 

"Clo tilde  I" 

"  Herself.  Do  you  remember,  yesterday 
morning,  when  I  wished  to  take  her  away  in 
the  automobile,  she  telephoned  to  her  dress 
maker.  ' ' 

"Well!" 

"Well,  I  understood,  later,  that  you  were 
the  dressmaker.  And  last  night,  on  the  boat, 
by  exercising  my  memory — and  my  memory 
is  something  I  have  good  reason  to  be  proud 
of — I  was  able  to  recollect  the  last  two  fig 
ures  of  your  telephone  number — 73.  Then, 
as  I  possessed  a  list  of  the  houses  you  had 
'improved,'  it  was  an  easy  matter,  on  my 
arrival  in  Paris  at  eleven  o'clock  this  morn 
ing,  to  search  in  the  telephone  directory  and 
find  there  the  name  and  address  of  Felix 
Davey.  Having,  obtained  that  information, 
I  asked  the  aid  of  Monsieur  Ganirnard." 


VERSUS     HERLOCK     SHOLMES  229 


.  . 


; Admirable!  I  congratulate  you.  But 
how  did  you  manage  to  catch  the  eight  o  'clock 
train  at  Havre!  How  did  you  escape  from 
The  Swallow?" 

"I  did  not  escape." 

"But- 

"You  ordered  the  captain  not  to  reach 
Southampton  before  one  o'clock.  He  landed 
me  there  at  midnight.  I  was  able  to  catch 
the  twelve  o'clock  boat  for  Havre." 

4 'Did  the  captain  betray  me!  I  can't  be 
lieve  it." 

"No,  he  did  not  betray  you." 

"Well,  what  then!" 

"It  was  his  watch." 

"His  watch!" 

"Yes,  I  put  it  ahead  one  hour." 

"How!" 

"In  the  usual  way,  by  turning  the  hands. 
We  were  sitting  side  by  side,  talking,  and  I 
was  telling  him  some  funny  stories.  .  .  . 
Why !  he  never  saw  me  do  it. ' ' 

"Bravo!  a  very  clever  trick.  I  shall  not 
forget  it.  But  the  clock  that  was  hanging 
on  the  wall  of  the  cabin!" 

"Ah!  the  clock  was  a  more  difficult  matter, 
as  my  feet  were  tied,  but  the  sailor,  who 
guarded  me  during  the  captain's  absence, 


ARSENE     LUPIN 

was  kind  enough  to  turn  the  hands  for  me." 

4 '  He  I    Nonsense !    He  wouldn  't  do  it. ' ' 

"Oh!  but  he  didn't  know  the  importance 
of  his  act.  I  told  him  I  must  catch  the  first 
train  for  London,  at  any  price,  and  .  .  . 
he  allowed  himself  to  be  persuaded— 

' '  By  means  of — 

"By  means  of  a  slight  gift,  which  the  ex 
cellent  fellow,  loyal  and  true  to  his  master, 
intends  to  send  to  you. ' ' 

"What  was  it!" 

"A  mere  trifle." 

"But  what?" 

"The  blue  diamond." 

"The  blue  diamond!" 

"Yes,  the  false  stone  that  you  substituted 
for  the  Countess'  diamond.  She  gave  it  to 
me." 

There  was  a  sudden  explosion  of  violent 
laughter.  Lupin  laughed  until  the  tears 
started  in  his  eyes. 

' '  Mon  dieu,  but  it  is  funny !  My  false  dia 
mond  palmed  off  on  my  innocent  sailor !  And 
the  captain's  watch!  And  the  hands  of  the 
clock!" 

Sholmes  felt  that  the  duel  between  him  and 
Lupin  was  keener  than  ever.  His  marvellous 
instinct  warned  him  that,  behind  his  adver- 


VERSUS     HERLOCK     SHOLMES  231 

sary's  display  of  mirth,  there  was  a  shrewd 
intellect  debating  the  ways  and  means  to 
escape.  Gradually  Lupin  approached  the 
Englishman,  who  recoiled,  and,  uncon 
sciously,  slipped  his  hand  into  his  watch- 
pocket. 

4 'It  is  three  o'clock,  Monsieur  Lupin. " 

" Three  o'clock,  already!  What  a  pity! 
We  were  enjoying  our  chat  so  much. ' ' 

"I  am  waiting  for  your  answer." 

' '  My  answer  ?  Mon  dieu !  but  you  are  par 
ticular  !  .  .  .  And  so  this  is  the  last  move 
in  our  little  game — and  the  stake  is  my 
liberty!" 

"Or  the  blue  diamond." 

"Very  well.  It's  your  play.  What  are 
you  going  to  do ! " 

"I  play  the  king,"  said  Sholmes,  as  he  fired 
his  revolver. 

"And  I  the  ace,"  replied  Lupin,  as  lie 
struck  at  Sholmes  with  his  fist. 

Sholrnes  had  fired  into  the  air,  as  a  signal 
to  Ganimard,  whose  assistance  he  required. 
But  Lupin's  fist  had  caught  Sholmes  in  the 
stomach,  and  caused  him  to  double  up  with 
pain.  Lupin  rushed  to  the  fireplace  and  set 
the  marble  slab  in  motion.  ...  Too  late ! 
The  door  opened. 


ARSENE     LUPIN 

"Surrender,  Lupin,  or  I  fire!" 

Ganimard,  doubtless  stationed  closer  than 
Lupin  had  thought,  Ganimard  was  there, 
with  his  revolver  turned  on  Lupin.  And  be 
hind  Ganimard  there  were  twenty  men, 
strong  and  ruthless  fellows,  who  would  beat 
him  like  a  dog  at  the  least  sign  of  resistance. 

"Hands  down!  I  surrender !"  said  Lupin, 
calmly;  and  he  folded  his  arms  across  his 
breast. 

Everyone  was  amazed.  In  the  room,  di 
vested  of  its  furniture  and  hangings,  Arsene 
Lupin's  words  sounded  like  an  echo.  .  .  . 
"I  surrender !"  .  .  .  It  seemed  incredible. 
No  one  would  have  been  astonished  if  he  had 
suddenly  vanished  through  a  trap,  or  if  a 
section  of  the  wall  had  rolled  away  and 
allowed  him  to  escape.  But  he  surrendered ! 

Ganimard  advanced,  nervously,  and  with 
all  the  gravity  that  the  importance  of  the  oc 
casion  demanded,  he  placed  his  hand  on  the 
shoulder  of  his  adversary,  and  had  the  in 
finite  pleasure  of  saying: 

"I  arrest  you,  Arsene  Lupin. " 

<  <  Brrr ! ' '  said  Lupin, ' '  you  make  me  shiver, 
my  dear  Ganimard.  What  a  lugubrious  face ! 
One  would  imagine  you  were  speaking  over 


VERSUS     TIERLOCK     SHOLMES  233 

the  grave  of  a  friend.     For  Heaven's  sake, 
don't  assume  such  a  funereal  air." 

"I  arrest  you." 

11  Don't  let  that  worry  you!  In  the  name 
of  the  law,  of  which  he  is  a  well-deserving 
pillar,  Ganimard,  the  celebrated  Parisian 
detective,  arrests  the  wicked  Arsene  Lupin. 
An  historic  event,  of  which  you  will  appre 
ciate  the  true  importance.  .  .  .  And  it  is 
the  second  time  that  it  has  happened.  Bravo, 
Ganimard,  you  are  sure  of  advancement  in 
your  chosen  profession!" 

And  he  held  out  his  wrists  for  the  hand 
cuffs.  Ganimard  adjusted  them  in  a  most 
solemn  manner.  The  numerous  policemen, 
despite  their  customary  presumption  and  the 
bitterness  of  their  feelings  toward  Lupin, 
conducted  themselves  with  becoming  mod^ 
esty,  astonished  at  being  permitted  to  gaze 
upon  that  mysterious  and  intangible  creature. 

' '  My  poor  Lupin, ' '  sighed  our  hero,  ' l  what 
would  your  aristocratic  friends  say  if  they 
should  see  you  in  this  humiliating  position!" 

He  pulled  his  wrists  apart  with  all  his 
strength.  The  veins  in  his  forehead  ex 
panded.  The  links  of  the  chain  cut  into  his 
flesh.  The  chain  fell  off— broken. 


234  ARSENE     LUPIN 

"Another,  comrades,  that  one  was  use 
less/  ' 

They  placed  two  on  him  this  time. 

"Quite  right, "  he  said.  "You  cannot  be 
too  careful." 

Then,  counting  the  detectives  and  police 
men,  he  said: 

i  i  How  many  are  you,  my  friends  ?  Twenty- 
five"?  Thirty?  That's  too  many.  I  can't  do 
anything.  Ah!  if  there  had  been  only 
fifteen!" 

There  was  something  fascinating  about 
Lupin;  it  was  the  fascination  of  the  great 
actor  who  plays  his  role  with  spirit  and  un 
derstanding,  combined  with  assurance  and 
ease.  Sholmes  regarded  him  as  one  might 
regard  a  beautiful  painting  with  a  due  ap 
preciation  of  all  its  perfection  in  coloring  and 
technique.  And  he  really  thought  that  it  was 
an  equal  struggle  between  those  thirty  men 
on  one  side,  armed  as  they  were  with  all  the 
strength  and  majesty  of  the  law,  and,  on  the 
other  side,  that  solitary  individual,  unarmed 
and  handcuffed.  Yes,  the  two  sides  were 
well-matched. 

"Well,  master,"  said  Lupin  to  the  Eng 
lishman,  "this  is  your  work.  Thanks  to  you, 
Lupin  is  going  to  rot  on  the  damp  straw  of 


VERSUS     HERLOCK     SHOLME8 


235 


a  dungeon.  Confess  that  your  conscience 
pricks  you  a  little,  and  that  your  soul  is  filled 
with  remorse." 

In  spite  of  himself,  Sholmes  shrugged  his 
shoulders,  as  if  to  say:  "It's  your  own 
fault." 

' '  Never !  never ! ' '  exclaimed  Lupin.  ' i  Give 
you  the  blue  diamond!  Oh!  no,  it  has  cost 
me  too  much  trouble.  I  intend  to  keep  it. 
On  my  occasion  of  my  first  visit  to  you  in 
London — which  will  probably  be  next  month 
-I  will  tell  you  my  reasons.  But  will  you 
be  in  London  next  month!  Or  do  you  prefer 
Vienna?  Or  Saint  Petersburg!" 

Then  Lupin  received  a  surprise.  A  bell 
commenced  to  ring.  It  was  not  the  alarm- 
bell,  but  the  bell  of  the  telephone  which  was 
located  between  the  two  windows  of  the  room 
and  had  not  yet  been  removed. 

The  telephone!  Ah!  Who  could  it  be! 
Who  was  about  to  fall  into  this  unfortunate 
trap!  Arsene  Lupin  exhibited  an  access  of 
rage  against  the  unlucky  instrument  as  if  he 
would  like  to  break  it  into  a  thousand  pieces 
and  thus  stifle  the  mysterious  voice  that  was 
calling  for  him.  But  it  was  Ganimard  who 
took  down  the  receiver,  and  said : 

"Hello!  Hello!     .     .     .    number 


236  ARSENE     LUPIN 

648.73     .     .     .     yes,  this  is  it." 

Then  Sholmes  stepped  up,  and,  with  an  air 
of  authority,  pushed  Ganimard  aside,  took 
the  receiver,  and  covered  the  transmitter  with 
his  handkerchief  in  order  to  obscure  the  tone 
of  his  voice.  At  that  moment  he  glanced 
toward  Lupin,  and  the  look  which  they  ex 
changed  indicated  that  the  same  idea  had 
occurred  to  each  of  them,  and  that  they  fore 
saw  the  ultimate  result  of  that  theory :  it  was 
the  blonde  Lady  who  was  telephoning.  She 
wished  to  telephone  to  Felix  Davey,  or  rather 
to  Maxime  Bermond,  and  it  was  to  Sholmes 
she  was  about  to  speak.  The  Englishman 
said: 

"  Hello    .    .    .    Hello!" 

Then,  after  a  silence,  he  said : 

4 '  Yes,  it  is  I,  Maxime. ' ' 

The  drama  had  commenced  and  was  pro 
gressing  with  tragic  precision.  Lupin,  the 
irrepressible  and  nonchalant  Lupin,  did  not 
attempt  to  conceal  his  anxiety,  and  he 
strained  every  nerve  in  a  desire  to  hear  or, 
at  least,  to  divine  the  purport  of  the  conver 
sation.  And  Sholmes  continued,  in  reply  to 
the  mysterious  voice: 

" Hello!  .  .  .  Hello!  .  .  .  Yes,  every 
thing  has  been  moved,  and  I  am  just  ready 


VERSUS     HERLOCK     SHOLMES  237 

to  leave  here  and  meet  you  as  we  agreed. 
.  .  .  Where?  .  .  .  Where  you  are 
now.  .  .  .  Don't  believe  that  he  is  here 
yet!  .  .  ." 

Sholmes  stopped,  seeking  for  words.  It 
was  clear  that  he  was  trying  to  question  the 
girl  without  betraying  himself,  and  that  he 
was  ignorant  of  her  whereabouts.  Moreover, 
Ganimard's  presence  seemed  to  embarrass 
him.  ...  Ah!  if  some  miracle  would 
only  interrupt  that  cursed  conversation! 
Lupin  prayed  for  it  with  all  his  strength, 
with  all  the  intensity  of  his  incited  nerves! 
After  a  momentary  pause,  Sholmes  con 
tinued  : 

" Hello!  .  .  .  Hello!  ...  Do  you 
hear  me!  ...  I  can't  hear  you  very  well. 
.  .  .  Can  scarcely  make  out  what  you  say. 
.  .  .  Are  you  listening!  Well,  I  think  you 
had  better  return  home.  ...  No  danger 
now.  .  .  .  But  he  is  in  England !  I  have 
received  a  telegram  from  Southampton  an 
nouncing  his  arrival." 

The  sarcasm  of  those  words!  Sholmes 
uttered  them  with  an  inexpressible  comfort. 
And  he  added  : 

"Very  well,  don't  lose  any  time.  I  will 
meet  you  there." 


238  ARSENE     LUPIN 

He  hung  up  the  receiver. 

"Monsieur  Ganimard,  can  you  furnish  me 
with  three  men?" 

"For  the  blonde  Lady,  eh?" 

"Yes." 

'  *  You  know  who  she  is,  and  where  she  is  ? " 

"Yes." 

"Good!  That  settles  Monsieur  Lupin. 
.  .  .  Folenf ant,  take  two  men,  and  go  with 
Monsieur  Sholmes." 

The  Englishman  departed,  accompanied  by 
the  three  men. 

The  game  was  ended.  The  blonde  Lady 
was,  also,  about  to  fall  into  the  hands  of  the 
Englishman.  Thanks  to  his  commendable 
persistence  and  to  a  combination  of  fortuitous 
circumstances,  the  battle  had  resulted  in  a 
victory  for  the  detective,  and  in  irreparable 
disaster  for  Lupin. 

"Monsieur  Sholmes!" 

The  Englishman  stopped. 

"Monsieur  Lupin!" 

Lupin  was  clearly  shattered  by  this  final 
blow.  His  forehead  was  marked  by  deep 
wrinkles.  He  was  sullen  and  dejected.  How 
ever,  he  pulled  himself  together,  and,  not 
withstanding  his  defeat,  he  exclaimed,  in  a 
cheerful  tone : 


VERSUS     HERLOCK     SHOLMES  239 

"You  will  concede  that  fate  has  been 
against  me.  A  few  minutes  ago,  it  prevented 
my  escape  through  that  chimney,  and  deliv 
ered  me  into  your  hands.  Now,  by  means  of 
the  telephone,  it  presents  you  with  the  blonde 
Lady.  I  submit  to  its  decrees." 

"What  do  you  mean?" 

"I  mean  that  I  am  ready  to  re-open  our 
negotiation." 

Sholmes  took  Ganimard  aside  and  asked, 
in  a  manner  that  did  not  permit  a  reply,  the 
authority  to  exchange  a  few  words  with  the 
prisoner.  'Then  he  approached  Lupin,  and 
said,  in  a  sharp,  nervous  tone : 

"What  do  you  want!" 

"Mademoiselle  Destange's  liberty." 

"You  know  the  price." 

"Yes." 

"And  you  accept!" 

"Y^es;  I  accept  your  terms." 

"Ah!"  said  the  Englishman,  in  surprise, 
"but  .  .  .  you  refused  .  .  .  for  your 
self " 

"Yes,  I  can  look  out  for  myself,  Monsieur 
Sholmes,  but  now  the  question  concerns  a 
young  woman  .  .  .  and  a  woman  I  love. 
In  France,  understand,  we  have  very  decided 


240  ARSENE     LUPIN 


ideas  about  such  things.  And  Lupin  has  the 
same  feelings  as  other  people. ' ' 

He  spoke  with  simplicity  and  candor. 
Sholmes  replied  by  an  almost  imperceptible 
inclination  of  his  head,  and  murmured : 

"Very  well,  the  blue  diamond." 

"Take  my  cane,  there,  at  the  end  of  the 
mantel.  Press  on  the  head  of  the  cane  with 
one  hand,  and,  with  the  other,  turn  the  iron 
ferrule  at  the  bottom. " 

Holmes  took  the  cane  and  followed  the  di 
rections.  As  he  did  so,  the  head  of  the  cane 
divided  and  disclosed  a  cavity  which  con 
tained  a  small  ball  of  wax  which,  in  turn, 
enclosed  a  diamond.  He  examined  it.  It 
was  the  blue  diamond. 

"Monsieur  Lupin,  Mademoiselle  Destange 
is  free." 

"Is  her  future  safety  assured?  Has  she 
nothing  to  fear  from  you ! ' ' 

"Neither  from  me,  nor  anyone  else." 

' '  How  can  you  manage  it  ? " 

"Quite  easily.  I  have  forgotten  her  name 
and  address." 

"Thank  you.  And  au  revoir — for  I 
will  see  you  again,  sometime,  Monsieur 
Sholmes?" 

"I  have  no  doubt  of  it." 


VERSUS     IIERLOCK     SHOLMES  241 

Then  followed  an  animated  conversation 
between  Sholmes  and  Ganimard,  which  was 
abruptly  terminated  by  the  Englishman,  who 
said : 

"I  am  very  sorry,  Monsieur  Ganimard, 
that  we  cannot  agree  on  that  point,  but  I 
have  no  time  to  waste  trying  to  convince  you. 
I  leave  for  England  within  an  hour." 

"But     .     .     .     the  blonde  Lady? " 

"I  do  not  know  such  a  person. " 

"And  yet,  a  moment  ago— 

"You  must  take  the  affair  as  it  stands.  I 
have  delivered  Arsene  Lupin  into  your  hands. 
Here  is  the  blue  diamond,  which  you  will 
have  the  pleasure  of  returning  to  the 
Countess  de  Crozon.  What  more  do  you 
want!" 

"The  blonde  Lady. " 

"Find  her." 

Sholmes  pulled  his  cap  down  over  his  fore 
head  and  walked  rapidly  away,  like  a  man 
who  is  accustomed  to  go  as  soon  as  his  busi 
ness  is  finished. 

"Bon  voyage,  monsieur,"  cried  Lupin, 
"and,  believe  me,  I  shall  never  forget  the 
friendly  way  in  which  our  little  business  af 
fairs  have  been  arranged.  My  regards  to 
Monsieur  Wilson. ' ' 


242  ARSEN'E     LUPIN" 

Not  receiving  any  reply,  Lupin  added, 
sneeringly : 

"That  is  what  is  called  'taking  British 
leave.'  Ah!  their  insular  dignity  lacks  the 
flower  of  courtesy  by  which  we  are  dis 
tinguished.  Consider  for  a  moment,  Gani 
mard,  what  a  charming  exit  a  Frenchman 
would  have  made  under  similar  circum 
stances!  With  what  exquisite  courtesy  he 
would  have  masked  his  triumph !  .  .  .  But, 
God  bless  me,  Ganimard,  what  are  you  doing? 
Making  a  search!  Come,  what's  the  use? 
There  is  nothing  left — not  even  a  scrap  of 
paper.  I  assure  you  my  archives  are  in  a  safe 
place. " 

"I  am  not  so  sure  of  that,"  replied  Gani 
mard.  "I  must  search  everything." 

Lupin  submitted  to  the  operation.  Held  by 
two  detectives  and  surrounded  by  the  others, 
he  patiently  endured  the  proceedings  for 
twenty  minutes,  then  he  said : 

1 '  Hurry  up,  Ganimard,  and  finish ! ' ' 

'  *  You  are  in  a  hurry. ' ' 

"Of  course  I  am.  An  important  appoint 
ment.  ' ' 

"At  the  police  station?" 

"No;  in  the  city." 

"Ah!  at  what  time?" 


VERSUS    HERLOCK     SHOLME8  243 

' ' Two  o'clock/' 

4  4  It  is  three  o  'clock  now. ' ' 

4 '  Just  so ;  I  will  be  late.  And  punctuality 
is  one  of  my  virtues." 

' '  Well,  give  me  five  minutes. ' ' 

i  4  Not  a  second  more, ' '  said  Lupin. 

"I  am  doing  my  best  to  expedite " 

' 40h!  don't  talk  so  much.  .  .  .  Still  search 
ing  that  cupboard?  It  is  empty." 

*  *  Here  are  some  letters. ' ' 

' '  Old  invoices,  I  presume ! ' ' 

"No;  a  packet  tied  with  a  ribbon." 

"A  red  ribbon!  Oh!  Ganimard,  for  God's 
sake,  don't  untie  it !" 

i  i  From  a  woman  ? ' ' 

"Yea," 

"A  woman  of  the  world!" 

4 'The  best  in  the  world." 

"Her  name!" 

i ' Madame  Ganimard." 

"Very  funny!  very  funny!"  exclaimed  the 
detective. 

At  that  moment  the  men,  who  had  been 
sent  to  search  the  other  rooms,  returned  and 
announced  their  failure  to  find  anything. 
Lupin  laughed  and  said:  • 

"Parbleu!  Did  you  expect  to  find  my  vis 
iting  list,  or  evidence  of  my  business  relations 


ARSENE    LUPIN 

with  the  Emperor  of  Germany?  But  I  can 
tell  you  what  you  should  investigate,  Gani- 
mard:  All  the  little  mysteries  of  this  apart 
ment.  For  instance,  that  gas-pipe  is  a  speak 
ing  tube.  That  chimney  contains  a  stairway. 
That  wall  is  hollow.  And  the  marvellous  sys 
tem  of  bells !  Ah !  Ganimard,  just  press  that 
button !" 

Ganimard  obeyed. 

"Did  you  hear  anything!"  asked  Lupin. 

"No.57 

"Neither  did  I.  And  yet  you  notified  my 
aeronaut  to  prepare  the  dirigible  balloon 
which  will  soon  carry  us  into  the  clouds. 

"Come!"  said  Ganimard,  who  had  com 
pleted  his  search;  "we've  had  enough  non 
sense — let's  be  off." 

He  started  away,  followed  by  his  men. 
Lupin  did  not  move.  His  guardians  pushed 
him  in  vain. 

"Well,"  said  Ganimard,  "do  you  refuse 
to  go!" 

"Not  at  all.    But  it  depends." 

"On  what?" 

' '  Where  you  want  to  take  me. ' ' 

"To  the  station-house,  of  course." 

"Then  I  refuse  to  go.  I  have  no  business 
there." 


VERSUS     HERLOCK     SHOLMES  245 

"Are  you  crazy  I" 

4 'Did  I  not  tell  you  that  I  had  an  important 
appointment  ? ' ' 

"Lupin!" 

"Why,  Ganimard,  I  have  an  appointment 
with  the  blonde  Lady,  and  do  you  suppose  I 
would  be  so  discourteous  as  to  cause  her  a 
moment's  anxiety!  That  would  be  very  un- 
gentlemanly. ' ' 

"Listen,  Lupin,"  said  the  detective,  who 
was  becoming  annoyed  by  this  persiflage ;  "  I 
have  been  very  patient  with  you,  but  I  will 
endure  no  more.  Follow  me." 

"Impossible;  I  have  an  appointment  and  I 
shall  keep  it. ' ' 

' '  For  the  last  time — follow  me ! ' ' 

"Im-pos-sible!" 

At  a  sign  from  Ganimard  two  men  seized 
Lupin  by  the  arms ;  but  they  released  him  at 
once,  uttering  cries  of  pain.  Lupin  had 
thrust  two  long  needles  into  them.  The  other 
men  now  rushed  at  Lupin  with  cries  of  rage 
and  hatred,  eager  to  avenge  their  comrades 
and  to  avenge  themselves  for  the  many  af 
fronts  he  had  heaped  upon  them;  and  now 
they  struck  and  beat  him  to  their  heart's  de 
sire.  A  violent  blow  on  the  temple  felled 
Lupin  to  the  floor. 


246  ARSENE    LUPIN 

"If  you  hurt  him  you  will  answer  to  me," 
growled  Ganimard,  in  a  rage. 

He  leaned  over  Lupin  to  ascertain  his  con 
dition.  Then,  learning  that  he  was  breathing 
freely,  Ganimard  ordered  his  men  to  carry 
the  prisoner  by  the  head  and  feet,  while  he 
himself  supported  the  body. 

"Go  gently,  now!  .  .  .  Don't  jolt  him. 
Ah !  the  brutes  would  have  killed  him.  .  .  . 
Well,  Lupin,  how  goes  it ! ' ' 

'  i  None  too  well,  Ganimard  .  .  .  you  let 
them  knock  me  out. ' ' 

"It  was  your  own  fault;  you  were  so  ob 
stinate,"  replied  Ganimard.  "But  I  hope 
they  didn't  hurt  you." 

They  had  left  the  apartment  and  were  now 
on  the  landing.  Lupin  groaned  and  stam 
mered  : 

' '  Ganimard  .  .  .  the  elevator  .  .  .  they 
are  breaking  my  bones." 

"A  good  idea,  an  excellent  idea,"  replied 
Ganimard.  "Besides,  the  stairway  is  too  nar 
row." 

He  summoned  the  elevator.  They  placed 
Lupin  on  the  seat  with  the  greatest  care. 
Ganimard  took  his  place  beside  him  and  said 
to  his  men : 


VERSUS     HERLOCK     SHOLMES 


6  1  Go  down  the  stairs  and  wait  for  me  below. 
Understand  !" 

Ganimard  closed  the  door  of  the  elevator. 
Suddenly  the  elevator  shot  upward  like  a  bal 
loon  released  from  its  cable.  Lupin  burst  into 
a  fit  of  sardonic  laughter. 

4  *  Good  God!"  cried  Ganimard,  as  he  made 
a  frantic  search  in  the  dark  for  the  button  of 
descent.  Having  found  it,  he  cried  : 

"The  fifth  floor!  Watch  the  door  of  the 
fifth  floor." 

His  assistants  clambered  up  the  stairs,  two 
and  three  steps  at  a  time.  But  this  strange 
circumstance  happened  :  The  elevator  seemed 
to  break  through  the  ceiling  of  the  last  floor, 
disappeared  from  the  sight  of  Ganimard  's  as 
sistants,  suddenly  made  its  appearance  on  the 
upper  floor  —  the  servants'  floor  —  and  stop 
ped.  Three  men  were  there  waiting  for  it. 
They  opened  the  door.  Two  of  them  seized 
Ganimard,  who,  astonished  at  the  sudden  at 
tack,  scarcely  made  any  defence.  The  other 
man  carried  off  Lupin. 

*  1  1  warned  you,  Ganimard  .  .  .  about  the 
dirigible  balloon.  Another  time,  don't  be  so 
tender-hearted.  And,  moreover,  remember 
that  Arsene  Lupin  doesn't  allow  himself  to  be 


248  ARSENE    LUPIN 

struck  and  knocked  down  without  sufficient 
reason.  Adieu. ' ' 

The  door  of  the  elevator  was  already  closed 
on  Ganimard,  and  the  machine  began  to  de 
scend  ;  and  it  all  happened  so  quickly  that  the 
old  detective  reached  the  ground  floor  as  soon 
as  his  assistants.  Without  exchanging  a  word 
they  crossed  the  court  and  ascended  the 
servants'  stairway,  which  was  the  only  way  to 
reach  the  servants'  floor  through  which  the 
escape  had  been  made. 

A  long  corridor  with  several  turns  and  bor 
dered  with  little  numbered  rooms  led  to  a 
door  that  was  not  locked.  On  the  other  side 
of  this  door  and,  therefore,  in  another  house 
there  was  another  corridor  with  similar  turns 
and  similar  rooms,  and  at  the  end  of  it  a 
servants'  stairway.  Ganimard  descended  it, 
crossed  a  court  and  a  vestibule  and  found 
himself  in  the  rue  Picot.  Then  he  understood 
the  situation :  the  two  houses,  built  the  entire 
depth  of  the  lots,  touched  at  the  rear,  while 
the  fronts  of  the  houses  faced  upon  two 
streets  that  ran  parallel  to  each  other  at  a  dis 
tance  of  more  than  sixty  metres  apart. 

He  found  the  concierge  and,  showing  his 
card,  enquired :  m 

i 'Did  four  men  pass  here  just  now?" 


VERSUS     HERLOCK     SHOLMES  249 

* '  Yes ;  the  two  servants  from  the  fourth  and 
fifth  floors,  with  two  friends. " 

'  i  Who  lives  on  the  fourth  and  fifth  floors  I ' ' 

1 '  Two  men  named  Fauvel  and  their  cousins, 
whose  name  is  Provost.  They  moved  to-day, 
leaving  the  two  servants,  who  went  away  just 
now. ' ' 

"Ah!"  thought  Ganimard;  "what  a  grand 
opportunity  we  have  missed !  The  entire  band 
lived  in  these  houses." 

And  he  sank  down  on  a  chair  in  despair. 

***** 

Forty  minutes  later  two  gentlemen  were 
driven  up  to  the  station  of  the  Northern  Rail 
way  and  hurried  to  the  Calais  express,  fol 
lowed  by  a  porter  who  carried  their  valises. 
One  of  them  had  his  arm  in  a  sling,  and  the 
pallor  of  his  face  denoted  some  illness.  The 
other  man  was  in  a  jovial  mood. 

"We  must  hurry,  Wilson,  or  we  will  miss 
the  train.  .  .  .  Ah !  Wilson,  I  shall  never 
forget  these  ten  days." 

"Neither  will  I." 

"Ah!  it  was  a  great  struggle!" 

"Superb!" 

"A  few  repulses,  here  and  there " 

"  Of  no  consequence. ' ' 

"And,  at  last,  victory  all  along  the  line. 


250  AKSENE    LUPIN 

Lupin  arrested!  The  blue  diamond  recov 
ered!" 

' '  My  arm  broken ! ' ' 

"What  does  a  broken  arm  count  for  in  such 
a  victory  as  that?" 

"Especially  when  it  is  my  arm." 

"Ah!  yes,  don't  you  remember,  Wilson, 
that  it  was  at  the  very  time  you  were  in  the 
pharmacy,  suffering  like  a  hero,  that  I  dis 
covered  the  clue  to  the  whole  mystery?" 

"How  lucky!" 

The  doors  of  the  carriages  were  being 
closed. 

i  i  All  aboard.    Hurry  up,  gentlemen ! ' ' 

The  porter  climbed  into  an  empty  compart 
ment  and  placed  their  valises  in  the  rack, 
whilst  Sholmes  assisted  the  unfortunate  Wil 
son. 

"What's  the  matter,  Wilson?  You're  not 
done  up,  are  you?  Come,  pull  your  nerves 
together. ' ' 

"My  nerves  are  all  right." 

"Well,  what  is  it,  then?" 

"I  have  only  one  hand." 

"What  of  it?"  exclaimed  Sholmes,  cheer 
fully.  l  <  You  are  not  the  only  one  who  has  had 
a  broken  arm.  Cheer  up ! " 


VERSUS     HEELOCK     SIIOLMES  251 

Sholmes  handed  the  porter  a  piece  of  fifty 
centimes. 

"Thank  you,  Monsieur  Sholmes,"  said  the 
porter. 

The  Englishman  looked  at  him;  it  was 
Arsene  Lupin. 

"You!  .  .  .  you!"  he  stammered,  abso 
lutely  astounded. 

And  Wilson  brandished  his  sound  arm  in 
the  manner  of  a  man  who  demonstrates  a  fact 
as  he  said : 

"You!  you!  but  you  were  arrested! 
Sholmes  told  me  so.  When  he  left  you  Gani- 
mard  and  thirty  men  had  you  in  charge." 

Lupin  folded  his  arms  and  said,  with  an  air 
of  indignation : 

"Did  you  suppose  I  would  let  you  go  away 
without  bidding  you  adieu?  After  the  very 
friendly  relations  that  have  always  existed 
between  us !  That  would  be  discourteous  and 
ungrateful  on  my  part. ' ' 

The  train  whistled.    Lupin  continued : 

"I  beg  your  pardon,  but  have  you  every 
thing  you  need!  Tobacco  and  matches  . 
yes  .  .  .  and  the  evening  papers  ?  You  will 
find  in  them  an  account  of  my  arrest — your 
last  exploit,  Monsieur  Sholmes.  And  now,  au 
revoir.  Am  delighted  to  have  made  your  ac- 


252  AKSENE    LUPIN 

quaintance.  And  if  ever  I  can  be  of  any  serv 
ice  to  you,  I  shall  be  only  too  happy.  .  .  .  ' 

He  leaped  to  the  platform  and  closed  the 
door. 

"Adieu,"  he  repeated,  waving  his  handker 
chief.  ' '  Adieu.  ...  I  shall  write  to  you.  .  .  . 
You  will  write  also,  eh?  And  your  arm  broken, 
Wilson.  ...  I  am  truly  sorry.  ...  I  shall 
expect  to  hear  from  both  of  you.  A  postal 
card,  now  and  then,  Simply  address :  Lupin, 
Paris.  That  is  sufficient.  .  .  .  Adieu.  .  .  .  See 
you  soon. ' ' 


CHAPTER  VII. 

THE    JEWISH    LAMP. 

EELOCK  SHOLMES  and  Wilson 
were  sitting  in  front  of  the  fireplace, 
in  comfortable  armchairs,  with  the 
feet  extended  toward  the  grateful  warmth  of 
a  glowing  coke  fire. 

Sholmes'  pipe,  a  short  brier  with  a  silver 
band,  had  gone  out.  He  knocked  out  the 
ashes,  filled  it,  lighted  it,  pulled  the  skirts  of 
his  dressing-gown  over  his  knees,  and  drew 
from  his  pipe  great  pufYs  of  smoke,  which 
ascended  toward  the  ceiling  in  scores  of 
shadow  rings. 

Wilson  gazed  at  him,  as  a  dog  lying  curled 
up  on  a  rug  before  the  fire  might  look  at  his 
master,  with  great  round  eyes  which  have  no 
hope  other  than  to  obey  the  least  gesture  of 
his  owner.  Was  the  master  going  to  break 
the  silence!  Would  he  reveal  to  Wilson  the 
subject  of  his  reverie  and  admit  his  satellite 
into  the  charmed  realm  of  his  thoughts! 

When  Sholmes  had  maintained  his  silent 

253 


254  ARSENE     LUPIN 

attitude  for  some  time,  Wilson  ventured  to 
speak : 

''Everything  seems  quiet  now.  Not  the 
shadow  of  a  ease  to  occupy  our  leisure 
moments. ' ' 

Sholmes  did  not  reply,  but  the  rings  of 
smoke  emitted  by  Sholmes  were  better 
formed,  and  Wilson  observed  that  his  com 
panion  drew  considerable  pleasure  from  that 
trifling  fact — an  indication  that  the  great 
man  was  not  absorbed  in  any  serious  medi 
tation.  W7ilson,  discouraged,  arose  and  went 
to  the  window. 

The  lonely  street  extended  between  the 
gloomy  fagades  of  grimy  houses,  unusually 
gloomy  this  morning  by  reason  of  a  heavy 
downfali  of  rain.  A  cab  passed;  then  an 
other.  Wilson  made  an  entry  of  their  num 
bers  in  his  memorandum-book.  One  never 
knows ! 

<4Ah!M  he  exclaimed,  "the  postman." 

The  man  entered,  shown  in  by  the  servant. 

"Two  registered  letters,  sir  ...  if  you 
will  sign,  please?" 

Sholmes  signed  the  receipts,  accompanied 
the  man  to  the  door,  and  was  opening  one  of 
the  letters  as  he  returned. 


VERSUS     HEELOCK     SHOLMES  253 

"It  seems  to  please  you,"  remarked  Wil 
son,  after  a  moment's  silence. 

4 'This  letter  contains  a  very  interesting 
proposition.  You  are  anxious  for  a  case — 
here's  one.  Bead 

Wilson  read: 

1  i  Monsieur, 

"I  desire  the  benefit  of  your  services  and 
experience.  I  have  been  the  victim  of  a  serious 
theft,  and  the  investigation  has  as  yet  been 
unsuccessful.  I  am  sending  to  you  by  this 
mail  a  number  of  newspapers  which  will  in 
form  you  of  the  affair,  and  if  you  will  under 
take  the  case,  I  will  place  my  house  at  your 
disposal  and  ask  you  to  fill  in  the  enclosed 
check,  signed  by  me,  for  whatever  sum  you 
require  for  your  expenses. 

''Kindly  reply  by  telegraph,  and  much 
oblige, 

"Your  humble  servant, 
"Baron  Victor  d'Imblevalle, 

"18  rue  Murillo,  Paris." 

"Ah!"  exclaimed  Sholmes,  "that  sounds 
good  .  .  .'a  little  trip  to  Paris  .  .  . 
and  why  not,  Wilson?  Since  my  famous  duel 
with  Arsene  Lupin,  I  have  not  had  an  excuse 
to  go  there.  I  should  be  pleased  to  visit  the 


256  ARSENE     LUPIN" 

capital  of  the  world  under  less  strenuous  con 
ditions." 

He  tore  the  check  into  four  pieces  and, 
while  Wilson,  whose  arm  had  not  yet  regained 
its  former  strength,  uttered  bitter  words 
against  Paris  and  the  Parisians,  Sholmes 
opened  the  second  envelope.  Immediately,  he 
made  a  gesture  of  annoyance,  and  a  wrinkle 
appeared  on  his  forehead  during  the  reading 
of  the  letter ;  then,  crushing  the  paper  into  a 
ball,  he  threw  it,  angrily,  on  the  floor. 

"Well!  What's  the  matter 1"  asked  Wil 
son,  anxiously. 

He  picked  up  the  ball  of  paper,  unfolded  it, 
and  read,  with  increasing  amazement : 

' '  My  Dear  Monsieur : 

1  i  You  know  full  well  the  admiration  I  have 
for  you  and  the  interest  I  take  in  your  re 
nown.  Well,  believe  me,  when  I  warn  you  to 
have  nothing  whatever  to  do  with  the  case  on 
which  you  have  just  now  been  called  to  Paris. 
Your  intervention  will  cause  much  harm; 
your  efforts  will  produce  a  most  lamentable 
result ;  and  you  will  be  obliged  to  make  a  pub 
lic  confession  of  your  defeat. 

"Having  a  sincere  desire  to  spare  you  such 
humiliation,  I  implore  you,  in  the  name  of 


VERSUS     HERLOCK     SHOLMES 


the  friendship  that  unites  us,  to  remain  peace 
fully  reposing  at  your  own  fireside. 

'  '  My  best  wishes  to  Monsieur  Wilson,  and, 
for  yourself,  the  sincere  regards  of  your  de 
voted  ARSENE  LUPIN.  " 

"Arsene  Lupin!'7  repeated  Wilson,  as 
tounded. 

Sholmes  struck  the  table  with  his  fist,  and 
exclaimed  : 

"Ah!  he  is  pestering  me  already,  the  fool! 
He  laughs  at  me  as  if  I  were  a  schoolboy  !  The 
public  confession  of  my  defeat!  Didn't  I 
force  him  to  disgorge  the  blue  diamond?" 

"I  tell  you  —  he's  afraid,"  suggested  Wil 
son. 

"Nonsense!  Arsene  Lupin  is  not  afraid, 
and  this  taunting  letter  proves  it." 

"But  how  did  he  know  that  the  Baron 
d'Imblevalle  had  written  to  you?" 

"What  do  I  know  about  it?  You  do  ask 
some  stupid  questions,  my  boy." 

"I  thought     .     .     .     I  supposed— 

"What?  That  I  am  a  clairvoyant?  Or  a 
sorcerer?" 

"No,  but  I  have  seen  you  do  some  marvel 
lous  things." 

'  '  No  person  can  perform  marvellous  things. 
I  no  more  than  you.  I  reflect,  I  deduct,  I  con- 


258  ARSENE    LUPIN 

elude — that  is  all ;  but  I  do  not  divine.    Only 
fools  divine." 

Wilson  assumed  the  attitude  of  a  whipped 
cur,  and  resolved  not  to  make  a  fool  of  him 
self  by  trying  to  divine  why  Sholmes  paced 
the  room  with  quick,  nervous  strides.  But 
when  Sholmes  rang  for  the  servant  and  or 
dered  his  valise,  Wilson  thought  that  he  was 
in  possession  of  a  material  fact  which  gave 
him  the  right  to  retiect,  deduct  and  conclude 
that  his  associate  was  about  to  take  a  journey. 
The  same  mental  operation  permitted  him  to 
assert,  with  almost  mathematical  exactness: 

"Sholmes,  you  are  going  to  Paris.'* 

"Possibly." 

"And  Lupin's  affront  impels  you  to  go, 
rather  than  the  desire  to  assist  the  Baron 
d'Imblevalle." 

"Possibly." 

' '  Sholmes,  I  shall  go  with  you. ' ' 
"  Ah ;  ah !  my  old  friend, ' '  exclaimed  Sholmes, 
interrupting  his  walking,  "you  are  not  afraid 
that  your  right  arm  will  meet  the  same  fate 
as  your  left?" 

"What  can  happen  to  me?  You  will  be 
there." 

"That's  the  way  to  talk,  Wilson.  We  will 
show  that  clever  Frenchman  that  he  made  a 


VERSUS     HERLOCK     SHOLMES 


mistake  when  he  threw  his  glove  in  our  faces. 
Be  quick,  Wilson,  we  must  catch  the  first 
train/' 

*  '  Without  waiting  for  the  papers  the  baron 
has  sent  you  !  '  ' 

"  What  good  are  they?" 

'  '  I  will  send  a  telegram.  '  ' 

"No;  if  you  do  that,  Arsene  Lupin  will 
know  of  my  arrival.  I  wish  to  avoid  that. 
This  time,  Wilson,  we  must  fight  under 

cover.  '  ' 

***** 

That  afternoon,  the  two  friends  embarked 
at  Dover.  The  passage  was  a  delightful  one. 
In  the  train  from  Calais  to  Paris,  Sholmes 
had  three  hours  sound  sleep,  while  Wilson 
guarded  the  door  of  the  compartment. 

Sholmes  awoke  in  good  spirits.  He  was 
delighted  at  the  idea  of  another  duel  with 
Arsene  Lupin,  and  he  rubbed  his  hands  with 
the  satisfied  air  of  a  man  who  looks  forward 
to  a  pleasant  vacation. 

"At  last!"  exclaimed  Wilson,  "we  are 
getting  to  work  again." 

And  he  rubbed  his  hands  with  the  same 
satisfied  air. 

At  the  station,  Sholmes  took  the  wraps  and, 
followed  by  Wilson,  who  carried  the  valises, 


260  ARSENE    LUPIN 

he  gave  up  his  tickets  and  started  off  briskly. 

"Fine  weather,  Wilson  .  .  .  Blue  sky 
and  sunshine !  Paris  is  giving  us  a  royal  re 
ception.  ' ' 

'  '  Yes,  but  what  a  crowd ! ' ' 

' '  So  much  the  better,  Wilson,  we  will  pass 
unnoticed.  No  one  will  recognize  us  in  such 
a  crowd." 

' '  Is  this  Monsieur  Sholmes  ? ' ' 

He  stopped,  somewhat  puzzled.  Who  the 
deuce  could  thus  address  him  by  his  name?  A 
woman  stood  beside  him ;  a  young  girl  whose 
simple  dress  outlined  her  slender  form  and 
whose  pretty  face  had  a  sad  and  anxious  ex 
pression.  She  repeated  her  enquiry : 

"You  are  Monsieur  Sholmes?" 

As  he  still  remained  silent,  as  much  from 
confusion  as  from  a  habit  of  prudence,  the 
girl  asked  a  third  time: 

"Have  I  the  honor  of  addressing  Monsieur 
Sholmes?" 

"What  do  you  want?"  he  replied,  testily, 
considering  the  incident  a  suspicious  one. 

' '  You  must  listen  to  me,  Monsieur  Sholmes, 
as  it  is  a  serious  matter.  I  know  that  you  are 
going  to  the  rue  Murillo." 

"Wliatdoyousay?" 

"I  know    .  I  know  rue  Mu- 


VERSUS     HERLOCK     SHOLMES  261 

rillo  .  .  .  number  18.  Well,  you  must  not 
go  ...  no,  you  must  not.  I  assure  you 
that  you  will  regret  it.  Do  not  think  that  I 
have  any  interest  in  the  matter.  I  do  it  be 
cause  it  is  right  .  .  .  because  my  con 
science  tells  me  to  do  it." 

Sholmes  tried  to  get  away,  but  she  per 
sisted  : 

"Oh!  I  beg  of  you,  don't  neglect  my  ad 
vice.  .  .  .  Ah !  if  I  only  knew  how  to  con 
vince  you !  Look  at  me !  Look  into  my  eyes ! 
They  are  sincere  .  *  .  they  speak  the 
truth." 

She  gazed  at  Sholmes,  fearlessly  but  inno 
cently,  with  those  beautiful  eyes,  serious  and 
clear,  in  which  her  very  soul  seemed  to  be  re 
flected. 

Wilson  nodded  his  head,  as  he  said : 

"Mademoiselle  looks  honest." 

"Yes,"  she  implored,  "and  you  must  have 
confidence 

"I  have  confidence  in  you,  mademoiselle," 
replied  Wilson. 

"Oh,  how  happy  you  make  me!  And  so 
has  your  friend?  I  feel  it  ...  I  am  sure 
of  it !  What  happiness !  Everything  will  be 
all  right  now !  .  .  .  What  a  good  idea  of 
mi&e!  .  .  .  Ah!  yes,  there  is  a  train  for 


262  AKSENE    LUPIN 

Calais  in  twenty  minutes.  You  will  take  it. 
.  .  .  Quick,  follow  me  ...  you  must 
come  this  way  .  .  .  there  is  just  time." 

She  tried  to  drag'  them  along.  Sholnaes 
seized  her  arm,  and  in  as  gentle  a  voice  as 
he  could  assume,  said  to  her : 

"  Excuse  me,  mademoiselle,  if  I  cannot 
yield  to  your  wishes,  but  I  never  abandon  a 
task  that  I  have  once  undertaken." 

' '  I  beseech  you  ...  I  implore  you.  .  .  . 
Ah  if  you  could  only  understand !  * ' 

Sholmes  passed  outside  and  walked  away  at 
a  quick  pace.  Wilson  said  to  the  girl : 

1 '  Have  no  fear  ...  he  will  be  in  at  the 
finish.  He  never  failed  yet." 

And  he  ran  to  overtake  Sholmes. 

HERLOCK  SHOLMES— ARSENE  LUPIN. 

These  words,  in  great  black  letters,  met 
their  gaze  as  soon  as  they  left  the  railway 
station.  A  number  of  sandwich-men  were  pa 
rading  through  the  street,  one  behind  the 
other,  carrying  heavy  canes  with  iron  ferrules 
with  which  they  struck  the  pavement  in  har 
mony,  and,  on  their  backs,  they  carried  large 
posters,  on  which  one  could  read  the  follow 
ing  notice : 


VERSUS     HERLOCK     SHOLMES 


THE  MATCH  BETWEEN  HERLOCK  SHOLMES 
AND  ARSENE  LUPIN.  AERIVAL  OF  THE  ENGLISH 
CHAMPION.  THE  GREAT  DETECTIVE  ATTACKS 
THE  MYSTERY  OF  THE  RUE  MURILLO.  BEAD  THE 
DETAILS  IN  THE  '  i  ECHO  DE  FRANCE.  '  y 

Wilson  shook  his  head,  and  said  : 

4  '  Look  at  that,  Sholmes,  and  we  thought  we 
were  traveling  incognito  !  I  shouldn't  be  sur 
prised  to  find  the  republican  guard  waiting 
for  us  at  the  rue  Murillo  to  give  us  an  official 
reception  with  toasts  and  champagne.  " 

"  Wilson,  when  you  get  funny,  you  get 
beastly  funny,"  growled  Sholmes. 

Then  he  approached  one  of  the  sandwich- 
men  with  the  obvious  intention  of  seizing  him 
in  his  powerful  grip  and  crushing  him,  to 
gether  with  his  infernal  sign-board.  There 
was  quite  a  crowd  gathered  about  the  men, 
reading  the  notices,  and  joking  and  laughing. 

Repressing  a  furious  access  of  rage, 
Sholmes  said  to  the  man  : 

4  'When  did  they  hire  you?" 

*  *  This  morning.  '  ' 

•'How  long  have  you  been  parading?" 

"  About  an  hour." 

"But  the  boards  were  ready  before  that?" 


264  ARSENE     LUFlN 

"Oh,  yes,  they  were  ready  when  we  went 
to  the  agency  this  morning. ' ' 

So  then  it  appears  that  Arsene  Lupin  had 
foreseen  that  he,  Sholmes,  would  accept  the 
challenge.  More  than  that,  the  letter  written 
by  Lupin  showed  that  he  was  eager  for  the 
fray  and  that  he  was  prepared  to  measure 
swords  once  more  with  his  formidable  rival. 
Why!  What  motive  could  Arsene  Lupin  have 
in  renewing  the  struggle  ? 

Sholmes  hesitated  for  a  moment.  Lupin 
must  be  very  confident  of  his  success  to  show 
so  much  insolence  in  advance;  and  was  not 
he,  Sholmes,  falling  into  a  trap  by  rushing 
into  the  battle  at  the  first  call  for  help! 

However,  he  called  a  carriage. 

i  i  Come,  Wilson !  .  .  .  Driver,  18  rue  Mu- 
rillo!"  he  exclaimed,  with  an  outburst  of  his 
accustomed  energy.  With  distended  veins  and 
clenched  fists,  as  if  he  were  about  to  engage  in 

a  boxing  bout,  he  jumped  into  the  carriage. 

***** 

The  rue  Murillo  is  bordered  with  magnifi 
cent  private  residences,  the  rear  of  which 
overlook  the  Pare  Monceau.  One  of  the  most 
pretentious  of  these  houses  is  number  18, 
owned  and  occupied  by  the  Baron  d'lmble- 
valle  and  furnished  in  a  luxurious  manner 


VERSUS    HERLOCK     SHOLMES  265 

consistent  with  the  owner's  taste  and  wealth. 
There  was  a  courtyard  in  front  of  the  house, 
and,  in  the  rear,  a  garden  well  filled  with  trees 
whose  branches  mingle  with  those  of  the  park. 

After  ringing  the  bell,  the  two  Englishmen 
were  admitted,  crossed  the  courtyard,  and 
were  received  at  the  door  by  a  footman  who 
showed  them  into  a  small  parlor  facing  the 
garden  in  the  rear  of  the  house.  They  sat 
down  and,  glancing  about,  made  a  rapid  in 
spection  of  the  many  valuable  objects  with 
which  the  room  was  filled. 

"Everything  very  choice, "  murmured  Wil 
son,  "and  in  the  best  of  taste.  It  is  a  safe 
deduction  to  make  that  those  who  had  the 
leisure  to  collect  these  articles  must  now  be 
at  least  fifty  years  of  age." 

The  door  opened,  and  the  Baron  d'lrnble- 
valle  entered,  followed  by  his  wif e.  Contrary 
to  the  deduction  made  by  Wilson,  they  were 
both  quite  young,  of  elegant  appearance,  and 
vivacious  in  speech  and  action.  They  were 
profuse  in  their  expressions  of  gratitude. 

"So  kind  of  you  to  come!  Sorry  to  have 
caused  you  so  much  trouble !  The  theft  now 
seems  of  little  consequence,  since  it  has  pro 
cured  us  this  pleasure." 

"How  charming  these  French  people  are!" 


266 


ARSENE     LUPIN 


thought  Wilson,  evolving  one  of  his  common 
place  deductions. 

"But  time  is  money, "  exclaimed  the  baron, 
' '  especially  your  time,  Monsieur  Sholmes.  So 
I  will  come  to  the  point.  Now,  what  do  you 
think  of  the  affair?  Do  you  think  you  can 
succeed  in  it  V ' 

"Before  I  can  answer  that  I  must  know 
what  it  is  about. ' ' 

' '  I  thought  you  knew. ' ' 

"  No ;  so  I  must  ask  you  for  full  particulars, 
even  to  the  smallest  detail.  First,  what  is 
the  nature  of  the  case?" 

"A  theft." 

'  <  When  did  it  take  place  ? ' ' 

"Last  Saturday,"  replied  the  baron,  "or, 
at  least,  some  time  during  Saturday  night  or 
Sunday  morning." 

"That  was  six  days  ago.  Now,  you  can 
tell  me  all  about  it." 

"In  the  first  place,  monsieur,  I  must  tell 
you  that  my  wife  and  I,  conforming  to  the 
manner  of  life  that  our  position  demands,  go 
out  very  little.  The  education  of  our  chil 
dren,  a  few  receptions,  and  the  care  and  deco 
ration  of  our  house — such  constitutes  our 
life;  and  nearly  all  our  evenings  are  spent 
in  this  little  room,  which  is  my  wife's  boudoir, 


VERSUS    HERLOCK     SHOLMES  267 

and  in  which  we  have  gathered  a  few  artistic 
objects.  Last  Saturday  night,  about  eleven 
o'clock,  I  turned  off  the  electric  lights,  and 
my  wife  and  I  retired,  as  usual,  to  our  room." 

" Where  is  your  room?" 

"It  adjoins  this.  That  is  the  door.  Next 
morning,  that  is  to  say,  Sunday  morning,  I 
arose  quite  early.  As  Suzanne,  my  wife,  was 
still  asleep,  I  passed  into  the  boudoir  as 
quietly  as  possible  so  as  not  to  wake  her. 
What  was  my  astonishment  when  I  found 
that  window  open — as  we  had  left  it  closed 
the  evening  before ! ' ' 

"  A  servant " 

"No  one  enters  here  in  the  morning  until 
we  ring.  Besides,  I  always  take  the  precau 
tion  to  bolt  the  second  door  which  communi 
cates  with  the  ante-chamber.  Therefore,  the 
window  must  have  been  opened  from  the  out 
side.  Besides,  I  have  some  evidence  of  that : 
the  second  pane  of  glass  from  the  right — 
close  to  the  fastening — had  been  cut." 

"And  what  does  that  window  overlook?" 

'  *  As  you  can  see  for  yourself,  it  opens  on  a 
little  balcony,  surrounded  by  a  stone  railing. 
Here,  we  are  on  the  first  floor,  and  you  can 
see  the  garden  behind  the  house  and  the  iron 
fence  which  separates  it  from  the  Pare  Mon- 


268  ARSENE    LUPIN 

ceau.  It  is  quite  certain  that  the  thief  came 
through  the  park,  climbed  the  fence  by  the 
aid  of  a  ladder,  and  thus  reached  the  terrace 
below  the  window.'7 

' '  That  is  quite  certain,  you  say  ? ' ' 

"Well,  in  the  soft  earth  on  either  side  of 
the  fence,  they  found  the  two  holes  made  by 
the  bottom  of  the  ladder,  and  two  similar 
holes  can  be  seen  below  the  window.  And 
the  stone  railing  of  the  balcony  shows  two 
scratches  which  were  doubtless  made  by  the 
contact  of  the  ladder/' 

"Is  the  Pare  Monceau  closed  at  night?" 

"No;  but  if  it  were,  there  is  a  house  in 
course  of  erection  at  number  14,  and  a  per 
son  could  enter  that  way." 

Herlock  Sholmes  reflected  for  a  few  min 
utes,  and  then  said: 

"Let  us  come  down  to  the  theft.  It  must 
have  been  committed  in  this  room!" 

"Yes;  there  was  here,  between  that 
twelfth  century  Virgin  and  that  tabernacle 
of  chased  silver,  a  small  Jewish  lamp.  It  has 
disappeared." 

"And  is  that  all?" 

"That  is  all." 

Ah!    .    .    .   And  what  is  a  Jewish  lamp 1" 
One  of  those  copper  lamps  used  by  the 


t  i 


VERSUS     HERLOCK     SIIOLMES 


ancient  Jews,  consisting  of  a  standard  which 
supported  a  bowl  containing  the  oil,  and  from 
this  bowl  projected  several  burners  intended 
for  the  wicks.  " 

"Upon  the  whole,  an  object  of  small 
value." 

"No  great  value,  of  course.  But  this  one 
contained  a  secret  hiding-place  in  which  we 
were  accustomed  to  place  a  magnificent  jewel, 
a  chimera  in  gold,  set  with  rubies  and  emer 
alds,  which  was  of  great  value." 

'  '  Why  did  you  hide  it  there  ?  '  ' 

"Oh!'  I  can't  give  any  reason,  monsieur, 
unless  it  was  an  odd  fancy  to  utilize  a  hiding- 
place  of  that  kind." 

'  i  Did  anyone  know  it  1  " 

"No." 

"No  one  —  except  the  thief,"  said  Sholmes. 
"Otherwise  he  would  not  have  taken  the 
trouble  to  steal  the  lamp." 

"Of  course.  But  how  could  he  know  it, 
as  it  was  only  by  accident  that  the  secret 
mechanism  of  the  lamp  was  revealed  to  us." 

"A  similar  accident  has  revealed  it  to  some 
one  else  ...  a  servant  ...  or  an  ac 
quaintance.  But  let  us  proceed:  I  suppose 
the  police  have  been  notified?" 

'  *  Yes.    The  examining  magistrate  has  com- 


270  ARSENE    LUPIN 

pleted  his  investigation.  The  reporter-detec 
tives  attached  to  the  leading  newspapers  have 
also  made  their  investigations.  But,  as  I 
wrote  to  you,  it  seems  to  me  the  mystery  will 
never  be  solved. " 

Sholmes  arose,  went  to  the  window,  exam 
ined  the  casement,  the  balcony,  the  terrace, 
studied  the  scratches  on  the  stone  railing  with 
his  magnifying-glass,  and  then  requested 
Mon.  d'Imblevalle  to  show  him  the  garden. 

Outside,  Sholmes  sat  down  in  a  rattan  chair 
and  gazed  at  the  roof  the  house  in  a  dreamy 
way.  Then  he  walked  over  to  the  two  little 
wooden  boxes  with  which  they  had  covered 
the  holes  made  in  the  ground  by  the  bottom 
of  the  ladder  with  a  view  of  preserving  them 
intact.  He  raised  the  boxes,  kneeled  on  the 
ground,  scrutinized  the  holes  and  made  some 
measurements.  After  making  a  similar  ex 
amination  of  the  holes  near  the  fence,  he  and 
the  baron  returned  to  the  boudoir  where 
Madame  d'Imblevalle  was  waiting  for  them. 
After  a  short  silence  Sholmes  said : 

"At  the  very  outset  of  your  story,  baron, 
I  was  surprised  at  the  very  simple  methods 
employed  by  the  thief.  To  raise  a  ladder, 
cut  a  window-pane,  select  a  valuable  article, 
and  walk  out  again — no,  that  is  not  the  way 


VERSUS     HERLOCK     SHOLMES 


271 


such  things  are  done.  All  that  is  too  plain, 
too  simple." 

'  <  Well,  what  do  you  think  ! ' ' 

"That  the  Jewish  lamp  was  stolen  under 
the  direction  of  Arsene  Lupin. " 

"Arsene  Lupin!"  exclaimed  the  baron. 

"Yes,  but  he  did  not  do  it  himself,  as  no 
one  came  from  the  outside.  Perhaps  a  serv 
ant  descended  from  the  upper  floor  by  means 
of  a  waterspout  that  I  noticed  when  I  was  in 
the  garden." 

"What  makes  you  think  so!" 

"Arsene  Lupin  would  not  leave  this  room 
empty-handed. ' ' 

' '  Empty-handed !    But  he  had  the  lamp. ' ' 

"But  that  would  not  have  prevented  his 
taking  that  snuff-box,  set  with  diamonds,  or 
that  opal  necklace.  When  he  leaves  anything, 
it  is  because  he  can't  carry  it  away." 

"But  the  marks  of  the  ladder  outside?" 

"A  false  scent.  Placed  there  simply  to 
avert  suspicion." 

"And  the  scratches  on  the  balustrade?" 

' '  A  farce !  They  were  made  with  a  piece  of 
sandpaper.  See,  here  are  scraps  of  the  pa 
per  that  I  picked  up  in  the  garden." 

"And  what  about  the  marks  made  by  the 
bottom  of  the  ladder?" 


272  AESENE    LUPIN 

< '  Counterfeit !  Examine  the  two  rectangu 
lar  holes  below  the  window,  and  the  two  holes 
near  the  fence.  They  are  of  a  similar  form, 
but  I  find  that  the  two  holes  near  the  house 
are  closer  to  each  other  than  the  two  holes 
near  the  fence.  What  does  that  fact  sug 
gest  ?  To  me,  it  suggested  that  the  four  holes 
were  made  by  a  piece  of  wood  prepared  for 
the  purpose." 

44  The  better  proof  would  be  the  piece  of 
wood  itself." 

"Here  it  is,"  said  Sholmes,  "I  found  it  in 
the  garden,  under  the  box  of  a  laurel  tree. ' ' 

The  baron  bowed  to  Sholmes  in  recogni 
tion  of  his  skill.  Only  forty  minutes  had 
elapsed  since  the  Englishman  had  entered  the 
house,  and  he  had  already  exploded  all  the 
theories  theretofore  formed,  and  which  had 
been  based  on  what  appeared  to  be  obvious 
and  undeniable  facts.  But  what  now  ap 
peared  to  be  the  real  facts  of  the  case  rested 
upon  a  more  solid  foundation,  to-wit,  the  as 
tute  reasoning  of  a  Herlock  Sholmes. 

"The  accusation  which  you  make  against 
one  of  our  household  is  a  very  serious  mat 
ter,"  said  the  baroness.  "Our  servants  have 
been  with  us  a  long  time  and  none  of  them 
would  betray  our  trust." 


VERSUS     HERLOCK     SHOLMES 


"If  none  of  tliem  lias  betrayed  you,  how 
can  you  explain  the  fact  that  I  received  this 
letter  on  the  same  day  and  by  the  same  mail 
as  the  letter  you  wrote  to  me?" 

He  handed  to  the  baroness  the  letter  that 
he  had  received  from  Arsene  Lupin.  She  ex 
claimed,  in  amazement  : 

*  i  Arsene  Lupin  !    How  could  he  know  ?  '  ' 

'  '  Did  you  tell  anyone  that  you  had  written 
tome?" 

"No  one,"  replied  the  baron.  "The  idea 
occurred  to  us  the  other  evening  at  the  din 
ner-table." 

"Before  the  servants?" 

'  '  No,  only  our  two  children.  Oh  !  no  ... 
Sophie  and  Henriette  had  left  the  table, 
hadn't  they,  Suzanne?" 

Madame  d'Imblevalle,  after  a  moment's 
reflection,  replied  : 

"Yes,  they  had  gone  to  Mademoiselle." 

"Mademoiselle?"  queried  Sholmes. 

"The  governess,  Mademoiselle  Alice  De- 
mun.  '  ' 

"Does  she  take  her  meals  with  you?" 

"No.    Her  meals  are  served  in  her  room." 

Wilson  had  an  idea.    He  said  : 

"The  letter  written  to  my  friend  Herlock 
Sholmes  was  posted?" 


274  ARSENE     LUPIN 

"Of  course." 

' ' Who  posted  it!7' 

"Dominique,  who  has  been  my  valet  for 
twenty  years,"  replied  the  baron.  "Any 
search  in  that  direction  would  be  a  waste  of 
time." 

* l  One  never  wastes  his  time  when  engaged 
in  a  search, ' '  said  Wilson,  sententiously. 

This  preliminary  investigation  now  ended, 
and  Sholmes  asked  permission  to  retire. 

At  dinner,  an  hour  later,  he  saw  Sophie 
and  Henriette,  the  two  children  of  the  family, 
one  was  six  and  the  other  eight  years  of  age. 
There  was  very  little  conversation  at  the 
table.  Sholmes  responded  to  the  friendly 
advances  of  his  hosts  in  such  a  curt  manner 
that  they  were  soon  reduced  to  silence.  When 
the  coffee  was  served,  Sholmes  swallowed  the 
contents  of  his  cup,  and  rose  to  take  his 
leave. 

At  that  moment,  a  servant  entered  with  a 
telephone  message  addressed  to  Sholmes.  He 
opened  it,  and  read : 

"You  have  my  enthusiastic  admiration. 
The  results  attained  by  you  in  so  short  a  time 
are  simply  marvellous.  I  am  dismayed. 

6 1  AKSENE  LUPIN.  ' ' 


VERSUS     HERLOCK     SHOLMES  275 

Sholmes  made  a  gesture  of  indignation  and 
handed  the  message  to  the  baron,  saying: 

"What  do  you  think  now,  monsieur?  Are 
the  walls  of  your  house  furnished  with  eyes 
and  ears?" 

"I  don't  understand  it,"  said  the  baron,  in 
amazement. 

"Nor  do  I;  but  I  do  understand  that  Lupin 
has  knowledge  of  everything  that  occurs  in 
this  house.  He  knows  every  movement,  every 
word.  There  is  no  doubt  of  it.  But  how  does 
he  get  his  information!  That  is  the  first 
mystery  I  have  to  solve,  and  when  I  know 

that  I  will  know  everything." 

***** 

That  night,  Wilson  retired  with  the  clear 
conscience  of  a  man  who  has  performed  his 
whole  duty  and  thus  acquired  an  undoubted 
right  to  sleep  and  repose.  So  he  fell  asleep 
very  quickly,  and  was  soon  enjoying  the  most 
delightful  dreams  in  which  he  pursued  Lupin 
and  captured  him  single-handed ;  and  the  sen 
sation  was  so  vivid  and  exciting  that  it  woke 
him  from  his  sleep.  Someone  was  standing 
at  his  bedside.  He  seized  his  revolver,  and 
cried : 

"Don't  move,  Lupin,  or  I'll  fire." 

i '  The  deuce !    Wilson,  what  do  you  mean  ? ' ' 


276  ARSENE    LUPIN 

"Oh!  it  is  you,  Sholmes.  Do  you  want 
me!" 

"I  want  to  show  you  something.    Get  up." 

Sholmes  led  him  to  the  window,  and  said : 

"Look!  ...  on  the  other  side  of  the 
fence  ..." 

"In  the  park?" 

"Yes.    What  do  you  see?" 

"I  don't  see  anything." 

"Yes,  you  do  see  something." 

"Ah!  of  course,  a  shadow  .  .  .  two  of 
them." 

"Yes,  close  to  the  fence.  See,  they  are 
moving.  Come,  quick!" 

Quickly  they  descended  the  stairs,  and 
reached  a  room  which  opened  into  the  gar 
den.  Through  the  glass  door  they  could  see 
the  two  shadowy  forms  in  the  same  place. 

"It  is  very  strange,"  said  Sholmes,  "but 
it  seems  to  me  I  can  hear  a  noise  inside  the 
house." 

"Inside  the  house?  Impossible!  Every 
body  is  asleep. ' ' 

"Well,  listen " 

At  that  moment  a  low  whistle  came  from 
the  other  side  of  the  fence,  and  they  per 
ceived  a  dim  light  which  appeared  to  comre 
from  the  house. 


VERSUS     HERLOCK     SHOLMES  277 

*  *  The  baron  must  have  turned  on  the  light 
in  his  room.  It  is  just  above  us." 

"That  must  have  been  the  noise  you 
heard,"  said  Wilson.  "Perhaps  they  are 
watching  the  fence  also." 

Then  there  was  a  second  whistle,  softer 
than  before. 

"I  don't  understand  it;  I  don't  under 
stand,"  said  Sholmes,  irritably. 

' '  No  more  do  I, "  confessed  Wilson. 

Sholmes  turned  the  key,  drew  the  bolt,  and 
quietly  opened  the  door.  A  third  whistle, 
louder  than  before,  and  modulated  to  another 
form.  And  the  noise  above  their  heads  be 
came  more  pronounced.  Sholmes  said : 

"It  seems  to  be  on  the  balcony  outside  the 
boudoir  window." 

He  put  his  head  through  the  half -opened 
door,  but  immediately  recoiled,  with  a  stifled 
oath.  Then  Wilson  looked.  Quite  close  to 
them  there  was  a  ladder,  the  upper  end  of 
which  was  resting  on  the  balcony. 

"The  deuce!"  said  Sholmes,  "there  is 
someone  in  the  boudoir.  That  is  what  we 
heard.  Quick,  let  us  remove  the  ladder." 

But  at  that  instant  a  man  slid  down  the 
ladder  and  ran  toward  the  spot  where  his 
accomplices  were  waiting  for  him  outside  the 


278  ARSENE     LUPIN 

fence.  He  carried  the  ladder  with  him. 
Sholmes  and  Wilson  pursued  the  man  and 
overtook  him  just  as  he  was  placing  the  lad 
der  against  the  fence.  From  the  other  side 
of  the  fence  two  shots  were  fired. 

"Wounded!"  cried  Sholmes. 

"No,"  replied  Wilson. 

Wilson  seized  the  man  by  the  body  and 
tried  to  hold  him,  but  the  man  turned  and 
plunged  a  knife  into  Wilson's  breast.  He 
uttered  a  groan,  staggered  and  fell. 

i  *  Damnation ! ' '  muttered  Sholmes,  *  '  if  they 
have  killed  him  I  will  kill  them." 

He  laid  Wilson  on  the  grass  and  rushed 
toward  the  ladder.  Too  late — the  man  had 
climbed  the  fence  and,  accompanied  by  his 
confederates,  had  fled  through  the  bushes. 

"Wilson,  Wilson,  it  is  not  serious,  hein! 
Merely  a  scratch. ' ' 

The  house  door  opened,  and  Monsieur 
d'lmblevalle  appeared,  followed  by  the  serv 
ants,  carrying  candles. 

"What's  the  matter!"  asked  the  baron. 
"Is  Monsieur  Wilson  wounded?" 

"Oh!  it's  nothing — a  mere  scratch,"  re 
peated  Sholmes,  trying  to  deceive  himself. 

The  blood  was, flowing  profusely,  and  Wil 
son's  face  was  livid.  Twenty  minutes  later 


VERSUS     HERLOCK     SHOLMES  279 

the  doctor  ascertained  that  the  point  of  the 
knife  had  penetrated  to  within  an  inch  and  a 
half  of  the  heart. 

i  i  An  inch  and  a  half  of  the  heart !  Wilson 
always  was  lucky  I"  said  Sholmes,  in  an 
envious  tone. 

i '  Lucky  .  .  .  lucky  .  .  .  "  muttered  the 
doctor. 

i A  Of  course !  Why,  with  his  robust  consti 
tution  he  will  soon  be  out  again. ' ' 

'  '  Six  weeks  in  bed  and  two  months  of  con 
valescence.  " 

"Not  more?" 

"No,  unless  complications  set  in." 

"  Oh !  the  devil !  what  does  he  want  compli 
cations  for?" 

Fully  reassured,  Sholmes  joined  the  baron 
in  the  boudoir.  This  time  the  mysterious 
visitor  had  not  exercised  the  same  restraint. 
Ruthlessly,  he  had  laid  his  vicious  hand  upon 
the  diamond  snuff-box,  upon  the  opal  neck 
lace,  and,  in  a  general  way,  upon  everything 
that  could  find  a  place  in  the  greedy  pockets 
of  an  enterprising  burglar. 

The  window  was  still  open ;  one  of  the  win 
dow-panes  had  been  neatly  cut;  and,  in  the 
morning,  a  summary  investigation  showed 


280  ARSE:N-E   LUPIN 

that  the  ladder  belonged  to  the  house  then 
in  course  of  construction. 

"Now,  you  can  see,"  said  Mon.  d'lmble- 
valle,  with  a  touch  of  irony,  "it  is  an  exact 
repetition  of  the  affair  of  the  Jewish  lamp." 

"Yes,  if  we  accept  the  first  theory  adopted 
by  the  police." 

"Haven't  you  adopted  it  yet?  Doesn't 
this  second  theft  shatter  your  theory  in  re 
gard  to  the  first!" 

"It  only  confirms  it,  monsieur." 

"That  is  incredible!  You  have  positive 
evidence  that  last  night's  theft  was  com 
mitted  by  an  outsider,  and  yet  you  adhere 
to  your  theory  that  the  Jewish  lamp  was 
stolen  by  someone  in  the  house." 

"Yes,  I  am  sure  of  it." 

' 1  How  do  you  explain  it  1 " 

"I  do  not  explain  anything,  monsieur;  I 
have  established  two  facts  which  do  not  ap 
pear  to  have  any  relation  to  each  other,  and 
yet  I  am  seeking  the  missing  li'^k  that  con 
nects  them." 

His  conviction  seemed  to  be  so  earnest  and 
positive  that  the  baron  submitted  to  it,  and 
said: 

"Very  well,  we  will  notify  the  police 

"Not  at  all!"  exclaimed  the  Englishman, 


VERSUS     HERLOCK     SHOLMES  281 

quickly,  "not  at  all !    I  intend  to  ask  for  their 
assistance  when  I  need  it — but  not  before." 
' i  But  the  attack  on  your  friend  I ' ' 
" That's  of  no  consequence.     He  is  only 
wounded.    Secure  the  license  of  the  doctor.  I 
shall  be  responsible  for  the  legal  side  of  the 

affair." 

***** 

The  next  two  days  proved  uneventful.  Yet 
Sholmes  was  investigating  the  case  with  a 
minute  care,  and  with  a  sense  of  wounded 
pride  resulting  from  that  audacious  theft, 
committed  under  his  nose,  in  spite  of  his  pres 
ence  and  beyond  his  power  to  prevent  it.  He 
made  a  thorough  investigation  of  the  house 
and  garden,  interviewed  the  servants,  and 
paid  lengthy  visits  to  the  kitchen  and  stables. 
And,  although  his  efforts  were  fruitless,  he 
did  not  despair. 

ill  will  succeed,"  he  thought,  "and  the  so 
lution  must  be  sought  within  the  walls  of  this 
house.  This  affair  is  quite  different  from 
that  of  the  blonde  Lady,  where  I  had  to  work 
in  the  dark,  on  unknown  ground.  This  time 
I  am  on  the  battlefield  itself.  The  enemy  is 
not  the  elusive  and  invisible  Lupin,  but  the 
accomplice,  in  flesh  and  blood,  who  lives  and 
moves  within  the  confines  of  this  house.  Let 


282  ARSENE    LUPIX 

ine  secure  the  slightest  cine  and  the  game  is 
mine ! J ' 

That  clue  was  furnished  to  him  by  accident. 

On  the  afternoon  of  the  third  day,  when  he 
entered  a  room  located  above  the  boudoir, 
which  served  as  a  study  for  the  children,  he 
found  Henriette,  the  younger  of  the  two  sis 
ters.  She  was  looking  for  her  scissors. 

4  i  You  know,  ' '  she  said  to  Sholmes, i  1 1  make 
papers  like  that  you  received  the  other  eve- 


5  ? 


nmg. 

"The  other  evening !" 

"Yes,  just  as  dinner  was  over,  you  received 
a  paper  with  marks  on  it  ...  you  know,  a 
telegram.  .  .  .  Well,  I  make  them,  too." 

She  left  the  room.  To  anyone  else  these 
words  would  seem  to  be  nothing  more  than 
the  insignificant  remark  of  a  child,  and 
Sholmes  himself  listened  to  them  with  a  dis 
tracted  air  and  continued  his  investigation. 
But,  suddenly,  he  ran  after  the  child,  and 
overtook  her  at  the  head  of  the  stairs.  He 
said  to  her : 

"So  you  paste  stamps  and  marks  on  pa 
pers?" 

Henriette,  very  proudly,  replied : 

"Yes,  I  cut  them  out  and  paste  them  on." 

"Who  taught  you  that  little  game?" 


VERSUS    HERLOCK     SHOLMES  283 

'  *  Mademoiselle  .  .  .  my  governess  ...  I 
have  seen  her  do  it  often.  She  takes  words 
out  of  the  newspapers  and  pastes  them— 

•'What  does  she  make  out  of  them?" 

"Telegrams  and  letters  that  she  sends 
away. ' ' 

Herlock  Sholmes  returned  to  the  study, 
greatly  puzzled  hy  the  information  and  seek 
ing  to  draw  from  it  a  logical  deduction.  There 
was  a  pile  of  newspapers  on  the  mantel.  He 
opened  them  and  found  that  many  words 
and,  in  some  places,  entire  lines  had  been 
cut  out.  But,  after  reading  a  few  of  the 
word's  which  preceded  or  followed,  he  de 
cided  that  the  missing  words  had  heen  cut 
out  at  random — probably  by  the  child.  It 
was  possible  that  one  of  the  newspapers  had 
been  cut  by  mademoiselle ;  but  how  could  he 
assure  himself  that  such  was  the  case  f 

Mechanically,  Sholmes  turned  over  the 
school-books  on  the  table ;  then  others  which 
were  lying  on  the  shelf  of  a  bookcase.  Sud- 
deny  he  uttered  a  cry  of  joy.  In  a  corner  of 
the  bookcase,  under  a  pile  of  old  exercise 
books,  he  found  a  child's  alphabet-book,  in 
which  the  letters  were  ornamented  with  pic 
tures,  and  on  one  of  the  pages  of  that  book 
he  discovered  a  place  where  a  word  had  been 


284  ARSENE    LUPIN 

removed.  He  examined  it.  It  was  a  list  of 
the  days  of  the  week.  Monday,  Tuesday, 
Wednesday,  etc.  The  word  t  *  Saturday ' '  was 
missing.  Now,  the  theft  of  the  Jewish  lamp 
had  occurred  on  a  Saturday  night. 

Sholmes  experienced  that  slight  fluttering 
of  the  heart  which  always  announced  to  him, 
in  the  clearest  manner,  that  he  had  discov 
ered  the  road  which  leads  to  victory.  That 
ray  of  truth,  that  feeling  of  certainty,  never 
deceived  him. 

With  nervous  fingers  he  hastened  to  exam 
ine  the  balance  of  the  book.  Very  soon  he 
made  another  discovery.  It  was  a  page  com 
posed  of  capital  letters,  followed  by  a  line  of 
figures.  Nine  of  those  letters  and  three  of 
those  figures  had  been  carefully  cut  out. 
Sholmes  made  a  list  of  the  missing  letters 
and  figures  in  his  memorandum  book,  in 
alphabetical  and  numerical  order,  and  ob 
tained  the  following  result : 

CDEHNOPEZ— 237. 

'  *  Well !  at  first  sight,  it  is  a  rather  formida 
ble  puzzle/'  he  murmured,  "but,  by  transpos 
ing  the  letters  and  using  all  of  them,  is  it  pos 
sible  to  form  one,  two  or  three  complete 
words  f" 

Sholmes  tried  it,  in  vain. 


VERSUS     HERLOCK     SHOLMES  285 

Only  one  solution  seemed  possible ;  it  con 
stantly  appeared  before  him,  no  matter  which 
way  he  tried  to  juggle  the  letters,  until,  at 
length,  he  was  satisfied  it  was  the  true  solu 
tion,  since  it  harmonized  with  the  logic  of  the 
facts  and  the  general  circumstances  of  the 
case. 

As  that  page  of  the  book  did  not  contain 
any  duplicate  letters  it  was  probable,  in  fact 
quite  certain,  that  the  words  he  could  form 
from  those  letters  would  be  incomplete,  and 
that  the  original  words  had  been  completed 
with  letters  taken  from  other  pages.  Under 
those  conditions  he  obtained  the  following  so 
lution,  errors  and  omissions  excepted : 
REPOND  Z— CH— 237. 

The  first  word  was  quite  clear:  repondez 
[reply],  a  letter  E  is  missing  because  it  oc 
curs  twice  in  the  word,  and  the  book  furnished 
only  one  letter  of  each  kind. 

As  to  the  second  incomplete  word,  no  doubt 
it  formed,  with  the  aid  of  the  number  237,  an 
address  to  which  the  reply  was  to  be  sent. 
They  appointed  Saturday  as  the  time,  and  re 
quested  a  reply  to  be  sent  to  the  address  CH. 
237. 

Or,  perhaps,  CH.  237  was  an  address  for  a 
letter  to  be  sent  to  the  "general  delivery "  of 


286  ARSENE     LUPIN 

some  postoffice,  or,  again,  they  might  form  a 
part  of  some  incomplete  word.  Sholmes 
searched  the  book  once  more,  but  did  not  dis 
cover  that  any  other  letters  had  been  re 
moved.  Therefore,  until  further  orders,  he 
decided  to  adhere  to  the  foregoing  interpreta 
tion. 

Henriette  returned  and  observed  what  he 
was  doing. 

"Amusing,  isn't  it  I" 

"Yes,  very  amusing,"  he  replied.  "But, 
have  you  any  other  papers!  .  .  .  Or,  rather, 
words  already  cut  out  that  I  can  paste?" 

i '  Papers  ?  ...  No  ...  And  Mademoseille 
wouldn't  like  it." 

"Mademoiselle?" 

"Yes,  she  has  scolded  me  already." 

"Why?" 

' '  Because  I  have  told  you  some  things  .  .  . 
and  she  says  that  a  person  should  never  tell 
things  about  those  they  love." 

"You  are  quite  right." 

Henriette  was  delighted  to  receive  his  ap 
probation,  in  fact  so  highly  pleased  that  she 
took  from  a  little  silk  bag  that  was  pinned  to 
her  dress  some  scraps  of  cloth,  three  buttons, 
two  cubes  of  sugar  and,  lastly,  a  piece  of  pa 
per  which  she  handed  to  Sholmes. 


VERSUS     HERLOCK     SHOLMES  287 

"See,  I  give  it  to  you  just  the  same." 

It  was  the  number  of  a  cab — 8,279. 

4 '  Where  did  this  number  come  from  I ' ' 

"It  fell  out  of  her  pocketbook." 

"When?" 

4 '  Sunday,  at  mass,  when  she  was  taking  out 
some  sous  for  the  collection." 

"Exactly!  And  now  I  shall  tell  you  how 
to  keep  from  being  scolded  again.  Do  not  tell 
Mademoiselle  that  you  saw  me." 

Sholmes  then  went  to  Mon.  d'Imblevalle 
and  questioned  him  in  regard  to  Mademoi 
selle,  The  baron  replied,  indignantly : 

"Alice  Demun !  How  can  you  imagine  such 
a  thing!  It  is  utterly  impossible !" 

"How  long  has  she  been  in  your  service?" 

"Only  a  year,  but  there  is  no  one  in  the 
house  in  whom  I  have  greater  confidence. ' ' 

"Why  have  I  not  seen  her  yet?" 

"She  has  been  away  for  a  few  days." 

"But  she  is  here  now." 

"Yes ;  since  her  return  she  has  been  watch 
ing  at  the  bedside  of  your  friend.  She  has  all 
the  qualities  of  a  nurse  .  .  .  gentle  .  .  . 
thoughtful  .  .  .  Monsieur  Wilson  seems 
much  pleased  ..." 

"Ah!"  said  Sholmes,  who  had  completely 


288  ARSENE    LUPIN 

neglected  to  inquire  about  his  friend.  After 
a  moment's  reflection  he  asked : 

"Did  she  go  out  on  Sunday  morning?" 

"The  day  after  the  theft?" 

"Yes."  " 

The  baron  called  his  wife  and  asked  her. 
She  replied : 

"Mademoiselle  went  to  the  eleven  o'clock 
mass  with  the  children,  as  usual." 

"But  before  that?" 

"Before  that?  No.  .  .  .  Let  me  see! 
...  I  was  so  upset  by  the  theft  .  .  .  but 
I  remember  now  that,  on  the  evening  before, 
she  asked  permission  to  go  out  on  Sunday 
morning  ...  to  see  a  cousin  who  was  pass 
ing  through  Paris,  I  think.  But,  surely,  you 
don't  suspect  her?" 

"Of  course  not  .  .  .  but  I  would  like  to 
see  her." 

He  went  to  Wilson's  room.  A  woman 
dressed  in  a  gray  cloth  dress,  as  in  the  hos 
pitals,  was  bending  over  the  invalid,  giving 
him  a  drink.  When  she  turned  her  face 
Sholmes  recognized  her  as  the  young  girl  who 
had  accosted  him  at  the  railway  station. 

Alice  Demun  smiled  sweetly ;  her  great  seri 
ous,  innocent  eyes  showed  no  sign  of  em 
barrassment.  The  Englishman  tried  to  speak, 


VERSUS     HERLOCK     SHOLMES  289 

muttered  a  few  syllables,  and  stopped.  Then 
she  resumed  her  work,  acting  quite  naturally 
under  Sholmes'  astonished  gaze,  moved  the 
bottles,  unrolled  and  rolled  cotton  bandages, 
and  again  regarded  Sholmes  with  her  charm 
ing  smile  of  pure  innocence. 

He  turned  on  his  heels,  descended  the 
stairs,  noticed  Mon.  d'Imblevalle's  automo 
bile  in  the  courtyard,  jumped  into  it,  and 
went  to  Levallois,  to  the  office  of  the  cab  com 
pany  whose  address  was  printed  on  the  paper 
he  had  received  from  Henriette.  The  man 
who  had  driven  carriage  number  8,279  on 
Sunday  morning  not  being  there,  Sholmes  dis 
missed  the  automobile  and  waited  for  the 
man's  return.  He  told  Sholmes  that  he  had 
picked  up  a  woman  in  the  vicinity  of  the  Pare 
Monceau,  a  young  woman  dressed  in  black, 
wearing  a  heavy  veil,  and,  apparently,  quite 
nervous. 

"Did  she  have  a  package?" 

"Yes,  quite  a  long  package." 

' '  Where  did  you  take  her  1 ' ' 

"Avenue  des  Ternes,  corner  of  the  Place 
Saint-Ferdinand.  She  remained  there  about 
ten  minutes,  and  then  returned  to  the  Pare 
Monceau." 


290  ARSENE     LUPIN" 

i  i  Could  you  recognize  the  house  in  the  ave 
nue  des  Ternes?" 

' '  Parhleu !    Shall  I  take  you  there  I ' ' 

"Presently.  First  take  me  to  36  quai  des 
Orfevres." 

At  the  police  office  he  saw  Detective  Gani- 
mard. 

"Monsieur  Ganimard,  are  you  at  liberty !" 

"If  it  has  anything  to  do  with  Lupin — 
no!" 

"It  has  something  to  do  with  Lupin. " 

"Then  I  do  not  go." 

' l  What !  you  surrender ' ' 

'  1 1  bow  to  the  inevitable.  I  am  tired  of  the 
unequal  struggle,  in  which  we  are  sure  to  be 
defeated.  Lupin  is  stronger  than  I  am — 
stronger  than  the  two  of  us;  therefore,  we 
must  surrender." 

'  i  I  will  not  surrender. ' ' 

"He  will  make  you,  as  he  has  all  others." 

"And  you  would  be  pleased  to  see  it — eh, 
Ganimard!" 

"At  all  events,  it  is  true,"  said  Ganimard, 
frankly.  "And  since  you  are  determined  to 
pursue  the  game,  I  will  go  with  you. ' ' 

Together  they  entered  the  carriage  and 
were  driven  to  the  avenue  des  Ternes.  Upon 
their  order  the  carriage  stopped  on  the  other 


VERSUS    HERLOCK     SHOLMES  291 

side  of  the  street,  at  some  distance  from  the 
house,  in  front  of  a  little  cafe,  on  the  terrace 
of  which  the  two  men  took  seats  amongst  the 
shrubbery.  It  was  commencing  to  grow  dark. 

"Waiter,"  said  Sholmes,  "some  writing 
material. ' ' 

He  wrote  a  note,  recalled  the  waiter  and 
gave  him  the  letter  with  instructions  to  de- 
liver  it  to  the  concierge  of  the  house  which 
he  pointed  out. 

In  a  few  minutes  the  concierge  stood  be 
fore  them.  Sholmes  asked  him  if,  on  the  Sun 
day  morning,  he  had  seen  a  young  woman 
dressed  in  black. 

"In  black!  Yes,  about  nine  o'clock.  She 
went  to  the  second  floor." 

* '  Have  you  seen  her  often  1 ' ' 

"No,  but  for  some  time — well,  during  the 
last  few  weeks,  I  have  seen  her  almost  every 
day." 

"And  since  Sunday!" 

"Only  once    .    .    .    until  to-day." 

* '  What !    Did  she  come  to-day  ? ' ' 

"She  is  here  now." 

"Here  now?" 

"Yes,  she  came  about  ten  minutes  ago.  Her 
carriage  is  standing  in  the  Place  Saint-Ferdi 
nand,  as  usual.  I  met  her  at  the  door. ' ' 


292  ARSENE    LUPIN 

"Who  is  the  occupant  of  the  second  floor ?" 

4  '  There  are  two :  a  modiste,  Mademoiselle 
Langeais,  and  a  gentleman  who  rented  two 
furnished  rooms  a  month  ago  under  the  name 
of  Bresson." 

"Why  do  you  say:  'under  the  name'?" 

"Because  I  have  an  idea  that  it  is  an  as 
sumed  name.  My  wife  takes  care  of  his 
rooms,  and  .  .  .  well,  there  are  not  two 
shirts  there  with  the  same  initials/' 

"Is  he  there  much  of  the  time!" 

"No ;  he  is  nearly  always  out.  He  has  not 
been  here  for  three  days. ' ' 

6 '  Was  he  here  on  Saturday  night  ? ' ' 

"Saturday  night?  .  .  .  Let  me  think. 
.  .  .  Yes,  Saturday  night,  he  came  in  and 
stayed  all  night." 

"What  sort  of  a  man  is  he?" 

"Well,  I  can  scarcely  answer  that.  He  is 
so  changeable.  He  is,  by  turns,  big,  little,  fat, 
thin  .  .  .  dark  and  light.  I  do  not  always 
recognize  him. ' ' 

Ganimard  and  Sholmes  exchanged  looks. 

"That  is  he,  all  right,"  said  Ganimard. 

"  Ah ! "  said  the  concierge, '  *  there  is  the  girl 
now. ' ' 

Mademoiselle  had  just  emerged  from  the 


VERSUS    HERLOCK     SHOLMES  293 

house  and  was  walking  toward  her  carriage 
in  the  Place  Saint-Ferdinand. 

"  And  there  is  Monsieur  Bresson." 
"Monsieur  Bresson?    Which  is  he?" 
"The  man  with  the  parcel  under  his  arm." 
* '  But  he  is  not  looking  after  the  girl.    She 
is  going  to  her  carriage  alone." 

"Yes,  I  have  never  seen  them  together." 
The  two  detectives  had  arisen.  By  the  light 
of  the  street-lamps  they  recognized  the  form 
of  Arsene  Lupin,  who  had  started  off  in  a  di 
rection  opposite  to  that  taken  by  the  girl. 

"Which  will  you  follow?"  asked  Gani- 
mard. 

"I  will  follow  him,  of  course.  He's  the  big 
gest  game." 

"Then  I  will  follow  the  girl,"  proposed 
Ganimard. 

"No,  no,"  said  Sholmes,  quickly,  who  did 
not  wish  to  disclose  the  girl's  identity  to 
Ganimard,  "I  know  where  to  find  her.  Come 
with  me." 

They  followed  Lupin  at  a  safe  distance,  tak 
ing  care  to  conceal  themselves  as  well  as  pos 
sible  amongst  the  moving  throng  and  behind 
the  newspaper  kiosks.  They  found  the  pur 
suit  an  easy  one,  as  he  walked  steadily  for 
ward  without  turning  to  the  right  or  left,  but 


294  ARSENE    LUPIN 

with  a  slight  limp  in  the  right  leg,  so  slight 
as  to  require  the  keen  eye  of  a  professional 
observer  to  detect  it.  Ganimard  observed  it, 
and  said : 

4 1 He  is  pretending  to  be  lame.  Ah!  if  we 
could  only  collect  two  or  three  policemen  and 
pounce  on  our  man !  We  run  a  chance  to  lose 
him." 

But  they  did  not  meet  any  policemen  before 
they  reached  the  Porte  des  Ternes,  and,  hav 
ing  passed  the  fortifications,  there  was  no 
prospect  of  receiving  any  assistance. 

"We  had  better  separate,"  said  Sholmes, 
'  '  as  there  are  so  few  people  on  the  street. ' ' 

They  were  now  on  the  Boulevard  Victor- 
Hugo.  They  walked  one  on  each  side  of  the 
street,  and  kept  well  in  the  shadow  of  the 
trees.  They  continued  thus  for  twenty  min 
utes,  when  Lupin  turned  to  the  left  and  fol 
lowed  the  Seine.  Very  soon  they  saw  him  de 
scend  to  the  edge  of  the  river.  He  remained 
there  only  a  few  seconds,  but  they  could  not 
observe  his  movements.  Then  Lupin  retraced 
his  steps.  His  pursuers  concealed  themselves 
in  the  shadow  of  a  gateway.  Lupin  passed  in 
front  of  them.  His  parcel  had  disappeared. 
And  as  he  walked  away  another  man  emerged 


VERSUS     HERLOCK     SHOLMES 


from  the  shelter  of  a  house  and  glided 
amongst  the  trees. 

"He  seems  to  be  following  him  also,"  said 
Sholmes,  in  a  low  voice. 

The  pursuit  continued,  but  was  now  embar 
rassed  by  the  presence  of  the  third  man.  Lu 
pin  returned  the  same  way,  passed  through 
the  Porte  des  Ternes,  and  re-entered  the 
house  in  the  avenue  des  Ternes. 

The  concierge  was  closing  the  house  for  the 
night  when  Ganimard  presented  himself. 

"Did  you  see  him!" 

"Yes,"  replied  the  concierge,  "I  was  put 
ting  out  the  gas  on  the  landing  when  he  closed 
and  bolted  his  door." 

6  '  Is  there  any  person  with  him  1  '  ' 

"No;  he  has  no  servant.  He  never  eats 
here." 

"Is  there  a  servants'  stairway?" 

"No." 

Ganimard  said  to  Sholmes: 

"I  had  better  stand  at  the  door  of  his  room 
while  you  go  for  the  commissary  of  police  in 
the  rue  Demours." 

"And  if  he  should  escape  during  that 
time?"  said  Sholmes. 

"While  I  am  here!    He  can't  escape." 


296  ARSENE     LUPIN 

"One  to  one,  with  Lupin,  is  not  an  even 
chance  for  you. ' ' 

"Well,  I  can't  force  the  door.  I  have  no 
right  to  do  that,  especially  at  night. ' ' 

Sholmes  shrugged  his  shoulders  and  said : 

"When  you  arrest  Lupin  no  one  will  ques 
tion  the  methods  by  which  you  made  the  ar 
rest.  However,  let  us  go  up  and  ring,  and  see 
what  happens  then." 

They  ascended  to  the  second  floor.  There 
was  a  double  door  at  the  left  of  the  landing. 
Ganimard  rang  the  bell.  No  reply.  He  rang 
again.  Still  no  reply. 

"Let  us  go  in,"  said  Sholmes. 

"All  right,  come  on,"  replied  Ganimard. 

Yet,  they  stood  still>  irresolute.  Like  peo 
ple  who  hesitate  when  they  ought  to  accom 
plish  a  decisive  action  they  feared  to  move, 
and  it  seemed  to  them  impossible  that  Ar- 
sene  Lupin  was  there,  so  close  to  them,  on 
the  other  side  of  that  fragile  door  that  could 
be  broken  down  by  one  blow  of  the  fist.  But 
they  knew  Lupin  too  well  to  suppose  that  he 
would  allow  himself  to  be  trapped  in  that 
stupid  manner.  No,  no — a  thousand  times,  no 
—Lupin  was  no  longer  there.  Through  the 
adjoining  houses, -over  the  roofs,  by  some  con 
veniently  prepared  exit,  he  must  have  already 


VERSUS     IIEBLOCK     SHOLMES  297 

made  his  escape,  and,  once  more,  it  would  only 
be  Lupin's  shadow  that  they  would  seize. 

They  shuddered  as  a  slight  noise,  coming 
from  the  other  side  of  the  door,  reached  their 
ears.  Then  they  had  the  impression,  amount 
ing  almost  to  a  certainty,  that  he  was  there, 
separated  from  them  by  that  frail  wooden 
door,  and  that  he  was  listening  to  them,  that 
he  could  hear  them. 

What  was  to  be  done  I  The  situation  was  a 
serious  one.  In  spite  of  their  vast  experience 
as  detectives,  they  were  so  nervous  and  ex 
cited  that  they  thought  they  could  hear  the 
beating  of  their  own  hearts.  Ganimard  ques 
tioned  Sholmes  by  a  look.  Then  he  struck  the 
door  a  violent  blow  with  his  fist.  Immediately 
they  heard  the  sound  of  footsteps,  concerning 
which  there  was  no  attempt  at  concealment. 

Ganimard  shook  the  door.  Then  he  and 
Sholmes,  uniting  their  efforts,  rushed  at  the 
door,  and  burst  it  open  with  their  shoulders. 
Then  they  stood  still,  in  surprise.  A  shot 
had  been  fired  in  the  adjoining  room.  An 
other  shot,  and  the  sound  of  a  falling  body. 

When  they  entered  they  saw  the  man  lying 
on  the  floor  with  his  face  toward  the  marble 
mantel.  His  revolver  had  fallen  from  his 
hand.  Ganimard  stooped  and  turned  the 


298  ARSENE    LUPIN 

man's  head.  The  face  was  covered  with 
blood,  which  was  flowing  from  two  wounds, 
one  in  the  cheek,  the  other  in  the  temple. 

"You  can't  recognize  him  for  blood." 

"No  matter!"  said  Sholmes.  "It  is  not 
Lupin." 

"How  do  you  know!  You  haven't  even 
looked  at  him." 

"Do  you  think  that  Arsene  Lupin  is  the 
kind  of  a  man  that  would  kill  himself!"  asked 
Sholmes,  with  a  sneer. 

"But  we  thought  we  recognized  him  out 
side." 

"We  thought  so,  because  the  wish  was 
father  to  the  thought.  That  man  has  us  be 
witched." 

"Then  it  must  be  one  of  his  accomplices." 

"The  accomplices  of  Arsene  Lupin  do  not 
kill  themselves." 

"Well,  then,  who  is  it?" 

They  searched  the  corpse.  In  one  pocket 
Herlock  Sholmes  found  an  empty  pocketbook ; 
in  another  Ganimard  found  several  louis. 
There  were  no  marks  of  identification  on  any 
part  of  his  clothing.  In  a  trunk  and  two  va 
lises  they  found  nothing  but  wearing  apparel. 
On  the  mantel  there  was  a  pile  of  newspapers. 
Ganimard  opened  them.  All  of  them  con- 


VERSUS     HERLOCK     SHOLMES  299 

tained  articles  referring  to  the  theft  of  the 
Jewish  lamp. 

An  hour  later,  when  Ganimard  and 
Sholmes  left  the  house,  they  had  acquired  no 
further  knowledge  of  the  strange  individual 
who  had  been  driven  to  suicide  by  their  un 
timely  visit. 

Who  was  he!  Why  had  he  killed  himself? 
What  was  his  connection  with  the  affair  of 
the  Jewish  lamp?  Who  had  followed  him  on 
his  return  from  the  river?  The  situation  in 
volved  many  complex  questions — many  mys 
teries— 

***** 

Herlock  Sholmes  went  to  bed  in  a  very  bad 
humor.  Early  next  morning  he  received  the 
following  telephonic  message : 

"Arsene  Lupin  has  the  honor  to  inform 
you  of  his  tragic  death  in  the  person  of  Mon 
sieur  Bresson,  and  requests  the  honor  of  your 
presence  at  the  funeral  service  and  burial, 
which  will  be  held  at  the  public  expense  on 
Thursday,  25  June," 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

THE  SHIPWKECK. 

HAT'S  what  I  don't  like,  Wilson," 
said  Herlock  Sholmes,  after  he  had 
read  Arsene  Lupin's  message;  "that 
is  what  exasperates  me  in  this  affair — to  feel 
that  the  cunning,  mocking  eye  of  that  fellow 
follows  me  everywhere.  He  sees  everything ; 
he  knows  everything;  he  reads  my  inmost 
thoughts ;  he  even  foresees  my  slightest  move 
ment.  Ah!  he  is  possessed  of  a  marvellous 
intuition,  far  surpassing  that  of  the  most  in 
stinctive  woman,  yes,  surpassing  even  that  of 
Herlock  Sholmes  himself.  Nothing  escapes 
him.  I  resemble  an  actor  whose  every  step 
and  movement  are  directed  by  a  stage-man 
ager  ;  who  says  this  and  does  that  in  obedience 
to  a  superior  will.  That  is  my  position.  Do 
you  understand,  Wilson?" 

Certainly  Wilson  would  have  understood 
if  his  faculties  had  not  been  deadened  by  the 
profound  slumber  of  a  man  whose  tempera 
ture  varies  between  one  hundred  and  one  hun 
dred  and  three  degrees.  But  whether  he 

300 


VERSUS    HERLOCK     SHOLMES  301 

heard  or  not  was  a  matter  of  no  consequence 
to  Herlock  Sholmes,  who  continued : 

" 1  have  to  concentrate  all  my  energy  and 
bring  all  my  resources  into  action  in  order  to 
make  the  slightest  progress.  And,  for 
tunately  for  me,  those  petty  annoyances  are 
like  so  many  pricks  from  a  needle  and  serve 
only  to  stimulate  me.  As  soon  as  the  heat 
of  the  wound  is  appeased  and  the  shock  to 
my  vanity  has  subsided  I  say  to  myself: 
'Amuse  yourself,  my  dear  fellow,  but  remem 
ber  that  he  who  laughs  last  laughs  best. 
Sooner  or  later  you  will  betray  yourself.'  For 
you  know,  Wilson,  it  was  Lupin  himself,  who, 
by  his  first  dispatch  and  the  observation  that 
it  suggested  to  little  Henriette,  disclosed  to 
oae  the  secret  of  his  correspondence  with  Alice 
Demun.  Have  you  forgotten  that  circum 
stance,  dear  boy!" 

But  Wilson  was  asleep ;  and  Sholmes,  pac 
ing  to  and  fro,  resumed  his  speech : 

"And,  now,  things  are  not  in  a  bad  shape; 
a  little  obscure,  perhaps,  but  the  light  is 
creeping  in.  In  the  first  place,  I  must  learn 
all  about  Monsieur  Bresson.  Ganimard  and 
I  will  visit  the  bank  of  the  river,  at  the  spot 
where  Bresson  threw  away  the  package,  and 
the  particular  role  of  that  gentleman  will  be 


302  ARSENE    LUPIN 

known  to  me.  After  that  the  game  will  be 
played  between  me  and  Alice  Demun.  Bather 
a  light-weight  opponent,  hein,  Wilson!  And 
do  you  not  think  that  I  will  soon  know  the 
phrase  represented  by  the  letters  clipped 
from  the  alphabet-book,  and  what  the  isolated 
letter s— the  *  '  C ' '  and  the  ' l  H '  '—mean  I  That 
is  all  I  want  to  know,  Wilson." 

Mademoiselle  entered  at  that  moment,  and, 
observing  Sholmes  gesticulating,  she  said,  in 
her  sweetest  manner : 

i  i  Monsieur  Sholmes,  I  must  scold  you  if  you 
waken  my  patient.  It  isn't  nice  of  you  to  dis 
turb  him.  The  doctor  has  ordered  absolute 
rest." 

He  looked  at  her  in  silence,  astonished,  as 
on  their  first  meeting,  at  her  wonderful  self- 
possession. 

"Why  do  you  look  at  me  so,  Monsieur 
Sholmes?  .  .  .  You  seem  to  be  trying  to 
read  my  thoughts.  ...  No!  ...  Then 
what  is  it?" 

She  questioned  him  with  the  most  innocent 
expression  on  her  pretty  face  and  in  her  frank 
blue  eyes.  A  smile  played  upon  her  lips ;  and 
she  displayed  so  much  unaffected  candor  that 
the  Englishman  almost  lost  his  temper.  He 
approached  her  and  said,  in  a  low  voice : 


VERSUS     HERLOCK     SHOLMES  303 

"Bresson  killed  himself  last  night.'7 

She  affected  not  to  understand  him ;  so  he 
repeated : 

"Bresson  killed  himself  yesterday.  .  .  .  ' 

She  did  not  show  the  slightest  emotion ;  she 
acted  as  if  the  matter  did  not  concern  or  in 
terest  her  in  any  way. 

"You  have  been  informed/*  said  Sholmes, 
displaying  his  annoyance.  "Otherwise,  the 
news  would  have  caused  you  to  start,  at  least. 
Ah!  you  are  stronger  than  I  expected.  But 
what 's  the  use  of  your  trying  to  conceal  any 
thing  from  me?" 

He  picked  up  the  alphabet-book,  which  he 
had  placed  on  a  convenient  table,  and,  open 
ing  it  at  the  mutilated  page,  said : 

"Will  you  tell  me  the  order  in  which  the 
missing  letters  should  be  arranged  in  order 
to  express  the  exact  wording  of  the  message 
you  sent  to  Bresson  four  days  before  the  theft 
of  the  Jewish  lamp  ! ' ' 

"The  order?  .  .  .  Bresson!  .  .  .  the  theft 
of  the  Jewish  lamp  ? ' ' 

She  repeated  the  words  slowly,  as  if  trying 
to  grasp  their  meaning.  He  continued : 

"Yes.  Here  are  the  letters  employed  .  .  . 
on  this  bit  of  paper.  .  .  .  What  did  you  say 
to  Bresson  ?" 


304  ARSENE    LUPIN 

"The  letters  employed  .  .  .  what  did  I 
say. 

Suddenly  she  burst  into  laughter : 

"Ah!  that  is  it!  I  understand!  I  am  an 
accomplice  in  the  crime !  There  is  a  Monsieur 
Bresson  who  stole  the  Jewish  lamp  and  who 
has  now  committed  suicide.  And  I  am  the 
friend  of  that  gentleman.  Oh !  how  absurd 
you  are!" 

"Whom  did  you  go  to  see  last  night  on  the 
second  floor  of  a  house  in  the  avenue  des 
Ternes?" 

"Who?  My  modiste,  Mademoiselle  Lan- 
geais.  Do  you  suppose  that  my  modiste  and 
my  friend  Monsieur  Bresson  are  the  same 
person  ?" 

Despite  all  he  knew,  Sholmes  was  now  in 
doubt.  A  person  can  feign  terror,  joy, 
anxiety,  in  fact  all  emotions;  but  a  person 
cannot  feign  absolute  indifference  or  light, 
careless  laughter.  Yet  he  continued  to  ques 
tion  her : 

"Why  did  you  accost  me  the  other  evening 
at  the  Northern  Railway  station?  And  why 
did  you  entreat  me  to  leave  Paris  immedi 
ately  without  investigating  this  theft?" 

"Ah!  you  are  too  inquisitive,  Monsieur 
Sholmes,"  she  replied,  still  laughing  in  the 


VERSUS    HERLOCK     SHOLMES  305 

most  natural  manner.  ' i  To  punish  you  I  will 
tell  you  nothing,  and,  besides,  you  must  watch 
the  patient  while  I  go  to  the  pharmacy  on  an 
urgent  message.  Au  revoir." 

She  left  the  room. 

"I  am  beaten  .  .  .  by  a  girl,"  muttered 
Sholmes.  l '  Not  only  did  I  get  nothing  out  of 
her  but  I  exposed  my  hand  and  put  her  on 
her  guard. ' ' 

And  he  recalled  the  affair  of  the  blue  dia 
mond  and  his  first  interview  with  Clotilde 
Destange.  Had  not  the  blonde  Lady  met  his 
question  with  the  same  unruffled  serenity,  and 
was  he  not  once  more  face  to  face  with  one  of 
those  creatures  who,  under  the  protection  and 
influence  of  Arsene  Lupin,  maintain  the  ut 
most  coolness  in  the  face  of  a  terrible  danger? 

4  <  Sholmes    .    .    .    Sholmes    .   .    .    " 

It  was  Wilson  who  called  him.  Sholmes 
approached  the  bed,  and,  leaning  over,  said : 

"What's  the  matter,  Wilson!  Does  your 
wound  pain  you?" 

Wilson's  lips  moved,  but  he  could  not 
speak.  At  last,  with  a  great  effort,  he  stam 
mered  : 

"No  .  .  .  Sholmes  ...  it  is  not  she 
.  .  .  that  is  impossible— 

"Come,  Wilson,  what  do  you  know  about 


306  ARSENE     LUPIN 

it !  I  tell  you  that  it  is  she !  It  is  only  when 
I  meet  one  of  Lupin's  creatures,  prepared 
and  instructed  by  him,  that  I  lose  my  head 
and  make  a  fool  of  myself.  ...  I  bet  you 
that  within  an  hour  Lupin  will  know  all  about 
our  interview.  Within  an  hour  1  What  am  I 
saying!  .  .  .  Why,  he  may  know  already. 
The  visit  to  the  pharmacy  .  .  .  urgent  mes 
sage.  All  nonsense !  .  .  .  She  has  gone  to 
telephone  to  Lupin." 

Sholmes  left  the  house  hurriedly,  went 
down  the  avenue  de  Messine,  and  was  just  in 
time  to  see  Mademoiselle  enter  a  pharmacy. 
Ten  minutes  later  she  emerged  from  the  shop 
carrying  some  small  packages  and  a  bottle 
wrapped  in  white  paper.  But  she  had  not 
proceeded  far,  when  she  was  accosted  by  a 
man  who,  with  hat  in  hand  and  an  obsequious 
air,  appeared  to  be  asking  for  charity.  She 
stopped,  gave  him  something,  and  proceeded 
on  her  way. 

"She  spoke  to  him,"  said  the  Englishman 
to  himself. 

If  not  a  certainty,  it  was  at  least  an  in 
tuition,  and  quite  sufficient  to  cause  him  to 
change  his  tactics.  Leaving  the  girl  to  pur 
sue  her  own  course,  he  followed  the  suspected 
mendicant,  who  walked  slowly  to  the  avenue 


VERSUS     HERLOCK     SHOLMES  307 

des  Ternes  and  lingered  for  a  long  time 
around  the  house  in  which  Bresson  had  lived, 
sometimes  raising  his  eyes  to  the  windows 
of  the  second  floor  and  watching  the  people 
who  entered  the  house. 

At  the  end  of  an  hour  he  climbed  to  the  top 
of  a  tramcar  going  in  the  direction  of  Neuilly. 
Sholmes  followed  and  took  a  seat  behind  the 
man,  and  beside  a  gentleman  who  was  con 
cealed  behind  the  pages  of  a  newspaper.  At 
the  fortifications  the  gentleman  lowered  the 
paper,  and  Shomies  recognized  Ganimard, 
who  thereupon  whispered,  as  he  pointed  to 
the  man  in  front : 

4 'It  is  the  man  who  followed  Bresson  last 
night.  He  has  been  watching  the  house  for 
an  hour. ' ' 

''Anything  new  in  regard  to  Bresson V9 
asked  Sholmes. 

"Yes,  a  letter  came  to  his  address  this 
morning. ' ' 

"This  morning?  Then  it  was  posted  yes 
terday  before  the  sender  could  know  of  Bres 
son's  death." 

"Exactly.  It  is  now  in  the  possession  of 
the  examining  magistrate.  But  I  read  it.  It 
says :  He  will  not  accept  any  compromise.  He 
wants  everything — the  first  thing  as  icell  as 


308  ARSEtfE    LUPIN 

those  of  the  second  affair.  Otherwise  he  will 
proceed." 

' i  There  is  no  signature, ' '  added  Ganimard. 
f '  It  seems  to  me  those  few  lines  won't  help  us 
much. ' ' 

"I  don't  agree  with  you,  Monsieur  Gani 
mard.  To  me  those  few  lines  are  very  inter 
esting.  ' ' 

' ' Why  so!    I  can't  see  it." 

i  i  For  reasons  that  are  personal  to  me, ' '  re 
plied  Sholmes,  with  the  indifference  that  he 
frequently  displayed  toward  his  colleague. 

The  tramcar  stopped  at  the  rue  de  Chateau, 
which  was  the  terminus.  The  man  descended 
and  walked  away  quietly.  Sholmes  followed 
at  so  short  a  distance  that  Ganimard  pro 
tested,  saying: 

"If  he  should  turn  around  he  will  suspect 
us." 

44 He  will  not  turn  around." 

"How  do  you  know?" 

"He  is  an  accomplice  of  Arsene  Lupin,  and 
the  fact  that  he  walks  in  that  manner,  with 
his  hands  in  his  pockets,  proves,  in  the  first 
place,  that  he  knows  he  is  being  followed 
and,  in  the  second  place,  that  he  is  not 
afraid." 


VERSUS    HERLOCK     SHOLMES  309 

"But  I  think  we  are  keeping  too  close  to 
him.11 

"Not  too  close  to  prevent  his  slipping 
through  our  fingers.  He  is  too  sure  of  him 
self.  " 

"Ah!  Look  there!  In  front  of  that  cafe 
there  are  two  of  the  bicycle  police.  If  I  sum 
mon  them  to  our  assistance,  how  can  the  man 
slip  through  our  fingers  V 

"Well,  our  friend  doesn't  seem  to  be  wor 
ried  about  it.  In  fact,  he  is  asking  for  their 
assistance  himself. " 

"Mon  Dieu!"  exclaimed  Ganimard,  "he 
has  a  nerve." 

The  man  approached  the  two  policemen 
just  as  they  were  mounting  their  bicycles. 
After  a  few  words  with  them  he  leaped  on  a 
third  bicycle,  which  was  leaning  against  the 
wall  of  the  cafe,  and  rode  away  at  a  fast  pace, 
accompanied  by  the  two  policemen. 

"Hein!  one,  two,  three  and  away !"  growled 
Sholmes.  ' '  And  through  whose  agency,  Mon 
sieur  Ganimard?  Two  of  your  colleagues. 
.  .  .  Ah!  but  Arsene  Lupin  has  a  wonder 
ful  organization!  Bicycle  policemen  in  his 
service!  ...  I  told  you  our  man  was  too 
calm,  too  sure  of  himself." 

"Well,  then,"  said  Ganimard,  quite  vexed, 


310  ARSLNE     LUPIN 

"what  are  we  to  do  now?    It  is  easy  enough 
to  laugh !    Anyone  can  do  that. ' ' 

'  *  Come,  come,  don't  lose  your  temper !  We 
will  get  our  revenge.  But,  in  the  meantime, 
we  need  reinforcements." 

' '  Folenf ant  is  waiting  for  me  at  the  end  of 
the  avenue  de  Neuilly. ' ' 

"Well,  go  and  get  him  and  join  me  later. 
I  will  follow  our  fugitive." 

Sholmes  followed  the  bicycle  tracks,  which 
were  plainly  visible  in  the  dust  of  the  road 
as  two  of  the  machines  were  furnished  with 
striated  tires.  Very  soon  he  ascertained  that 
the  tracks  were  leading  him  to  the  edge  of  the 
Seine,  and  that  the  three  men  had  turned  in 
the  direction  taken  by  Bresson  on  the  pre 
ceding  evening.  Thus  he  arrived  at  the  gate 
way  where  he  and  Ganimard  had  concealed 
themselves,  and,  a  little  farther  on,  he  dis 
covered  a  mingling  of  the  bicycle  tracks  which 
showed  that  the  men  had  halted  at  that  spot'. 
Directly  opposite  there  was  a  little  point  of 
land  which  projected  into  the  river  and,  at 
the  extremity  thereof,  an  old  boat  was 
moored. 

It  was  there  that  Bresson  had  thrown  away 
the  package,  or,  rather,  had  dropped  it. 
Sholmes  descended  the  bank  and  saw  that 


VERSUS     HERLOCZ     SHOLMES  311 

the  declivity  was  not  steep  and  the  water 
quite  shallow,  so  it  would  be  quite  easy  to 
recover  the  package,  provided  the  three  men 
had  not  forestalled  him. 

' '  No,  that  can 't  be, ' '  he  thought, '  *  they  have 
not  had  time.  A  quarter  of  an  hour  at  the 
most.  And  yet,  why  did  they  come  this 
way?" 

A  fisherman  was  seated  on  the  old  boat. 
Sholmes  asked  him : 

"Did  you  see  three  men  on  bicycles  a  few 
minutes  ago?" 

The  fisherman  made  a  negative  gesture. 
But  Sholines  insisted : 

"Three  men  who  stopped  on  the  road  just 
on  top  of  the  bank?" 

The  fisherman  rested  his  pole  under  his 
arm,  took  a  memorandum  book  from  his 
pocket,  wrote  on  one  of  the  pages,  tore  it  out, 
and  handed  it  to  Sholmes.  The  Englishman 
gave  a  start  of  surprise.  In  the  middle  of  the 
paper  which  he  held  in  his  hand  he  saw  the 
series  of  letters  cut  from  the  alphabet-book : 
CDEHNOPEZEO— 237. 

The  man  resumed  his  fishing,  sheltered 
from  the  sun  by  a  large  straw  hat,  with  his 
coat  and  vest  lying  beside  him.  He  was  in- 


312  ABSENE     LUPIN 

tently  watching  the  cork  attached  to  his  line 
as  it  floated  on  the  surface  of  the  water. 

There  was  a  moment  of  silence — solemn 
and  terrible. 

"Is  it  he?"  conjectured  Sholmes,  with  an 
anxiety  that  was  almost  pitiful.  Then  the 
truth  burst  upon  him : 

" It  is  he!  It  is  he!  No  one  else  could  re 
main  there  so  calmly,  without  the  slightest 
display  of  anxiety,  without  the  least  fear  of 
what  might  happen.  And  who  else  would 
know  the  story  of  those  mysterious  letters? 
Alice  had  warned  him  by  means  of  her  mes 
senger.  " 

Suddenly  the  Englishman  felt  that  his  hand 
—that  his  own  hand  had  involuntarily  seized 
the  handle  of  his  revolver,  and  that  his  eyes 
were  fixed  on  the  man's  back,  a  little  below 
the  neck.  One  movement,  and  the  drama 
would  be  finished;  the  life  of  the  strange 
adventurer  would  come  to  a  miserable  end. 

The  fisherman  did  not  stir. 

Sholmes  nervously  toyed  with  his  revolver, 
and  experienced  a  wild  desire  to  fire  it  and 
end  everything ;  but  the  horror  of  such  an  act 
was  repugnant  to  his  nature.  Death  would 
be  certain  and  would  end  all. 

"Ah!"  he  thought,  "let  him  get  up  and  de- 


VERSUS     HERLOCK     SHOLMES  313 

fend  himself.  If  lie  doesn't,  so  much  the 
worse  for  him.  One  second  more  .  .  .  and 
I  fire.  ..." 

But  a  sound  of  footsteps  behind  him  caused 
him  to  turn  his  head.  It  was  Ganimard  com 
ing  with  some  assistants. 

Then,  quickly  changing  his  plans,  Sholmes 
leaped  into  the  boat,  which  was  broken  from 
its  moorings  by  his  sudden  action ;  he  pounced 
upon  the  man  and  seized  him  around  the  body. 
They  rolled  to  the  bottom  of  the  boat  to 
gether. 

"Well,  now!"  exclaimed  Lupin,  struggling 
to  free  himself,  "what  does  this  mean?  When 
one  of  us  has  conquered  the  other,  what  good 
will  it  do?  You  will  not  know  what  to  do 
with  me,  nor  I  with  you.  We  will  remain 
here  like  two  idiots." 

The  two  oars  slipped  into  the  water.  The 
boat  drifted  into  the  stream. 

< '  Good  Lord,  what  a  fuss  you  make !  A  man 
of  your  age  ought  to  know  better !  You  act 
like  a  child." 

Lupin  succeeded  in  freeing  himself  from 
the  grasp  of  the  detective,  who,  thoroughly 
exasperated  and  ready  to  kill,  put  his  hand 
in  his  pocket.  He  uttered  an  oath:  Lupin 
had  taken  his  revolver.  Then  he  knelt  down 


314  ARSEXE     LUPIN 

and  tried  to  capture  one  of  the  lost  oars  in 
order  to  regain  the  shore,  while  Lupin  was 
trying  to  capture  the  other  oar  in  order  to 
drive  the  boat  down  the  river. 

"It's  gone!  I  can't  reach  it,"  said  Lupin. 
"But  it's  of  no  consequence.  If  you  get  your 
oar  I  can  prevent  your  using  it.  And  you 
could  do  the  same  to  me.  But,  you  see,  that 
is  the  way  in  this  world,  we  act  without  any 
purpose  or  reason,  as  our  efforts  are  in  vain 
since  Fate  decides  everything.  Now,  don't 
you  see,  Fate  is  on  the  side  of  his  friend  Lu 
pin.  The  game  is  mine!  The  current  favors 
me!" 

The  boat  was  slowly  drifting  down  the 
river. 

"Look  out!"  cried  Lupin,  quickly. 

Someone  on  the  bank  was  pointing  a  re 
volver.  Lupin  stooped,  a  shot  was  fired;  it 
struck  the  water  beyond  the  boat.  Lupin 
burst  into  laughter. 

' '  God  bless  me !  It 's  my  friend  Ganimard ! 
But  it  was  very  wrong  of  you  to  do  that, 
Ganimard.  You  have  no  right  to  shoot  ex 
cept  in  self-defense.  Does  poor  Lupin  worry 
you  so  much  that  you  forget  yourself!  .  .  . 
Now,  be  good,  and  don't  shoot  again!  .  .  . 
If  you  do  you  will  hit  our  English  friend." 


VERSUS     HERLOCK     SHOLMES 


He  stood  behind  Sholmes,  facing  Ganimard, 
and  said  : 

*  *  Now,  Ganimard,  I  am  ready  !  Aim  for  his 
heart!  .  .  .  Higher!  .  .  .  A  little  to  the  left. 
.  .  .  Ah  !  you  missed  that  time  .  .  .  deuced 
bad  shot.  .  .  .  Try  again.  .  .  .  Your  hand 
shakes,  Ganimard.  .  .  .  Now,  once  more  .  .  . 
one,  two,  three,  fire  !  .  .  .  Missed  !  .  .  .  Par- 
bleu!  the  authorities  furnish  you  with  toy- 
pistols." 

Lupin  drew  a  long  revolver  and  fired  with 
out  taking  aim.  Ganimard  put  his  hand  to  his 
hat  :  the  bullet  had  passed  through  it. 

4  '"What  do  you  think  of  that,  Ganimard? 
Ah!  that's  a  real  revolver!  A  genuine  Eng 
lish  bulldog.  It  belongs  to  my  friend,  Her- 
iock  Sholmes." 

And,  with  a  laugh,  he  threw  the  revolver  to 
the  shore,  where  it  landed  at  Ganimard  's  feet. 

Sholmes  could  not  withhold  a  smile  of  ad 
miration.  What  a  torrent  of  youthful  spirits  ! 
And  how  he  seemed  to  enjoy  himself  !  It  ap 
peared  as  if  the  sensation  of  peril  caused  him 
a  physical  pleasure;  and  this  extraordinary 
man  had  no  other  purpose  in  life  than  to  seek 
for  dangers  simply  for  the  amusement  it  af 
forded  him  in  avoiding  them. 

Many  people  had  now  gathered  on  the 


316  ARSENE    LUPIN 

banks  of  the  river,  and  Ganimard  and  his  men 
followed  the  boat  as  it  slowly  floated  down 
the  stream.  Lupin's  capture  was  a  mathe 
matical  certainty. 

4  '  Confess,  old  fellow, ' '  said  Lupin,  turning 
to  the  Englishman,  "that  you  would  not  ex 
change  your  present  position  for  all  the  gold 
in  the  Transvaal!  You  are  now  in  the  first 
row  of  the  orchestra  chairs !  But,  in  the  fifst 
place,  we  must  have  the  prologue  .  .  .  after 
which  we  can  leap,  at  one  bound,  to  the  fifth 
act  of  the  drama,  which  will  represent  the 
capture  or  escape  of  Arsene  Lupin.  There 
fore,  I  am  going  to  ask  you  a  plain  question, 
to  which  I  request  a  plain  answer — a  simple 
yes  or  no.  Will  you  renounce  this  affair?  At 
present  I  can  repair  the  damage  you  have 
done ;  later  it  will  be  beyond  my  power.  Is  it 
a  bargain?" 

"No." 

Lupin's  face  showed  his  disappointment 
and  annoyance.  He  continued: 

"I  insist.  More  for  your  sake  than  my 
own,  I  insist,  because  I  am  certain  you  will 
be  the  first  to  regret  your  intervention.  For 
the  last  time,  yes  or  no  ? " 

"No." 

Lupin  stooped  down,  removed  one  of  the 


VERSUS     HERLOCK     SIIOLMES 


boards  in  the  bottom  of  the  boat,  and,  for 
some  minutes,  was  engaged  in  a  work  the  na 
ture  of  which  Sholmes  could  not  discern. 
Then  he  arose,  seated  himself  beside  the  Eng 
lishman,  and  said: 

"I  believe,  monsieur,  that  we  came  to  the 
river  to-day  for  the  same  purpose  :  to  recover 
the  object  which  Bresson  threw  away.  For 
my  part  I  had  invited  a  few  friends  to  join 
me  here,  and  I  was  on  the  point  of  making  an 
examination  of  the  bed  of  the  river  when  my 
friends  announced  your  approach.  I  confess 
that  the  news  did  not  surprise  me,  as  I  have 
been  notified  every  hour  concerning  the  prog 
ress  of  your  investigation.  That  was  an  easy 
matter.  Whenever  anything  occurred  in  the 
rue  Murillo  that  might  interest  me,  simply  a 
ring  on  the  telephone  and  I  was  informed." 

He  stopped.  The  board  that  he  had  dis 
placed  in  the  bottom  of  the  boat  was  rising 
and  water  was  working  into  the  boat  all 
around  it. 

"The  deuce!  I  didn't  know  how  to  fix  it. 
I  was  afraid  this  old  boat  would  leak.  You 
are  not  afraid,  monsieur!" 

Sholmes  shrugged  his  shoulders.  Lupin 
continued  : 

"You  will  understand  then,  in  those  cir- 


318  ARSENE    LUPIN 

cumstances,  and  knowing  in  advance  that  you 
would  be  more  eager  to  seek  a  battle  than  I 
would  be  to  avoid  it,  I  assure  you  I  was  not 
entirely  displeased  to  enter  into  a  contest  of 
which  the  issue  is  quite  certain,  since  I  hold 
all  the  trump  cards  in  my  hand.  And  I  de 
sired  that  our  meeting  should  be  given  the 
widest  publicity  in  order  that  your  defeat 
may  be  universally  known,  so  that  another 
Countess  de  Crozon  or  another  Baron  d'lm 
blevalle  may  not  be  tempted  to  solicit  your 
aid  against  me.  Besides,  my  dear  mon 
sieur " 

He  stopped  again  and,  using  his  half- 
closed  hands  as  a  lorgnette,  he  scanned  the 
banks  of  the  river. 

* '  Mon  Dieu !  they  have  chartered  a  superb 
boat,  a  real  war-vessel,  and  see  how  they  are 
rowing.  In  five  minutes  they  will  be  along 
side,  and  I  am  lost.  Monsieur  Sholmes,  a 
word  of  advice ;  you  seize  me,  bind  me  and  de 
liver  me  to  the  officers  of  the  law.  Does  that 
programme  please  you?  .  .  .  Unless,  in  the 
meantime,  we  are  shipwrecked,  in  which  event 
we  can  do  nothing  but  prepare  our  wills. 
What  do  you  think? " 

They  exchanged  looks.  Sholmes  now  un 
derstood  Lupin's  scheme:  he  had  scuttled  the 


VERSUS     HERLOCK     SHOLMES  319 

boat.  And  the  water  was  rising.  It  had 
reached  the  soles  of  their  boots.  Then  it 
covered  their  feet;  but  they  did  not  move. 
It  was  half-way  to  their  knees.  The  Eng 
lishman  took  out  his  tobacco,  rolled  a  ciga 
rette,  and  lighted  it.  Lupin  continued  to 
talk: 

41  But  do  not  regarcl  that  offer  as  a  confes 
sion  of  my  weakness.  I  surrender  to  you  in  a 
battle  in  which  I  can  achieve  a  victory  in  or 
der  to  avoid  a  struggle  upon  a  field  not  of  my 
own  choosing.  In  so  doing  I  recognize  the 
fact  that  Sholmes  is  the  only  enemy  I  fear, 
and  announce  my  anxiety  that  Sholmes  will 
not  be  diverted  from  my  track.  I  take  this 
opportunity  to  tell  you  these  things  since 
Fate  has  accorded  me  the  honor  of  a  conver 
sation  with  you.  I  have  only  one  regret ;  it  is 
that  our  conversation  should  have  occurred 
while  we  are  taking  a  foot-bath  ...  a  situ 
ation  that  is  lacking  in  dignity,  I  must  con 
fess.  .  .  .  What  did  I  say?  Afoot-bath?  It 
is  worse  than  that.'7 

The  water  had  reached  the  board  on  which 
they  were  sitting,  and  the  boat  was  gradually 
sinking. 

Sholmes,  smoking  his  cigarette,  appeared 
to  be  calmly  admiring  the  scenery.  For  noth- 


320  ARSENE 


ing  in  the  world,  while  face  to  face  with  that 
man  who,  while  threatened  by  dangers,  sur- 
rounded  by  a  crowd,  followed  by  a  posse  of 
police,  maintained  his  equanimity  and  good 
humor,  for  nothing  in  the  world  would  he, 
Sholmes,  display  the  slightest  sign  of 
nervousness. 

Each  of  them  looked  as  if  he  might  say: 
Should  a  person  be  disturbed  by  such  trifles? 
Are  not  people  drowned  in  a  river  every  day  ? 
Is  it  such  an  unusual  event  as  to  deserve 
special  attention!  One  chatted,  whilst  the 
other  dreamed;  both  concealing  their 
wounded  pride  beneath  a  mask  of  indiffer 
ence. 

One  minute  more  and  the  boat  will  sink. 
Lupin  continued  his  chatter  : 

"The  important  thing  to  know  is  whether 
we  will  sink  before  or  after  the  arrival  of 
the  champions  of  the  law.  That  is  the  main 
question.  As  to  our  shipwreck,  that  is  a  fore 
gone  conclusion.  Now,  monsieur,  the  hour 
has  come  in  which  we  must  make  our  wills. 
I  give,  devise  and  bequeath  all  my  property 
to  Herlock  Sholmes,  a  citizen  of  England,  for 
his  own  use  and  benefit.  But,  mon  Dieu,  how 
quickly  tho  champions  of  the  law  are  ap 
proaching!  Ah!  the  brave  fellows!  It  is  a 


VERSUS     HERLOCK     SHOLMES  321 

pleasure  to  watch  them.  Observe  the  pre 
cision  of  the  oars!  Ah!  is  it  you,  Brigadier 
Folenf ant  ?  Bravo !  The  idea  of  a  war- ves 
sel  is  an  excellent  one.  I  commend  you  to 
your  superiors,  Brigadier  Folenfant.  .  .  . 
Do  you  wish  a  medal !  You  shall  have  it.  And 
your  comrade  Dieuzy,  where  is  he  1  .  .  .  Ah ! 
yes,  I  think  I  see  him  on  the  left  bank  of  the 
river  at  the  head  of  a  hundred  natives.  So 
that,  if  I  escape  shipwreck,  I  shall  be  captured 
on  the  left  by  Dieuzy  and  his  natives,  or,  on 
the  right,  by  Ganimard  and  the  populace  of 
Neuilly.  An  embarrassing  dilemma ! ' ' 

The  boat  entered  an  eddy ;  it  swung  around 
and  Sholmes  caught  hold  of  the  oarlocks.  Lu 
pin  said  to  him : 

11  Monsieur,  you  should  remove  your  coat. 
You  will  find  it  easier  to  swim  without  a  coat. 
No?  You  refuse?  Then  I  shall  put  on  my 
own. ' ' 

He  donned  his  coat,  buttoned  it  closely,  the 
same  as  Sholmes,  and  said : 

' i What  a  discourteous  man  you  are!  And 
what  a  pity  that  you  should  be  so  stubborn  in 
this  affair,  in  which,  of  course,  you  display 
your  strength,  but,  oh!  so  vainly!  Really, 
you  mar  your  genius— 

"Monsieur  Lupin,"  interrupted  Sholmes, 


322  ARSENE    LUPIN 

emerging  from  his  silence,  "you  talk  too 
much,  and  you  frequently  err  through  exces; 
of  confidence  and  through  your  frivolity. ' ' 

* '  That  is  a  severe  reproach. ' ' 

"Thus,  without  knowing  it,  you  furnished 
me,  only  a  moment  ago,  with  the  information 
I  required." 

"What!  you  required  some  information 
and  you  didn't  tell  me? " 

"I  had  no  occasion  to  ask  you  for  it — you 
volunteered  it.  Within  three  hours  I  can  de 
liver  the  key  of  the  mystery  to  Monsieur 
d'Imblevalle.  That  is  the  only  reply " 

He  did  not  finish  the  sentence.  The  boat 
suddenly  sank,  taking  both  of  the  men  down 
with  it.  It  emerged  immediately,  with  its  keel 
in  the  air.  Shouts  were  heard  on  either  bank, 
succeeded  by  an  anxious  moment  of  silence. 
Then  the  shouts  were  renewed:  one  of  the 
shipwrecked  party  had  come  to  the  surface. 

It  was  Herlock  Sholmes.  He  was  an  excel 
lent  swimmer,  and  struck  out,  with  powerful 
strokes,  for  Folenf ant's  boat. 

"Courage,  Monsieur  Sholmes,"  shouted 
Folenfant;  "we  are  here.  Keep  it  up  .  .  . 
we  will  get  you  ...  a  little  more,  Monsieur 
Sholmes  .  .  .  Catch  the  rope. ' ' 

The  Englishman  seized  the  rope  they  had 


VERSUS    HEELOCK     SHOLMES 

thrown  to  him.  But,  while  they  were  hauling 
him  into  the  boat,  he  heard  a  voice  behind 
him,  saying : 

44  The  key  of  the  mystery,  monsieur,  yes, 
you  shall  have  it.  I  am  astonished  that  you 
haven't  got  it  already.  What  then?  What 
good  will  it  do  you?  By  that  time  you  will 
have  lost  the  battle.  .  .  ." 

Now  comfortably  installed  astride  the  keel 
of  the  boat,  Lupin  continued  his  speech  with 
solemn  gestures,  as  if  he  hoped  to  convince 
his  adversary. 

"You  must  understand,  my  dear  Sholmes, 
there  is  nothing  to  be  done,  absolutely  noth 
ing.  You  find  yourself  in  the  deplorable  posi 
tion  of  a  gentleman— 

"Surrender,  Lupin!"  shouted  Folenfant. 

"You  are  an  ill-bred  fellow,  Folenfant,  to 
interrupt  me  in  the  middle  of  a  sentence.  I 
was  saying 

' '  Surrender,  Lupin ! ' ' 

"Oh!  parbleu!  Brigadier  Folenfant,  a  man 
surrenders  only  when  he  is  in  danger.  Surely, 
you  do  not  pretend  to  say  that  I  am  in  any 
danger." 

"For  the  last  time,  Lupin,  I  call  on  you  to 
surrender." 

"Brigadier  Folenfant,  you  have  no  inten- 


324  ARSENE     LUPIN 

tion  of  killing  me ;  you  may  wish  to  wound 
me  since  you  are  afraid  I  may  escape.  But 
if  by  chance  the  wound  prove  mortal!  Just 
think  of  your  remorse!  It  would  embitter 
your  old  age." 

The  shot  was  fired. 

Lupin  staggered,  clutched  at  the  keel  of 
the  boat  for  a  moment,  then  let  go  and  dis 
appeared. 

***** 

It  was  exactly  three  o'clock  when  the  fore 
going  events  transpired.  Precisely  at  six 
o'clock,  as  he  had  foretold,  Herlock  Sholmes, 
dressed  in  trousers  that  were  too  short  and 
a  coat  that  was  too  small,  which  he  had  bor 
rowed  from  an  innkeeper  at  Neuilly,  wearing 
a  cap  and  a  flannel  shirt,  entered  the  boudoir 
in  the  Eue  Murillo,  after  having  sent  word  to 
Monsieur  and  Madame  d 'Imblevalle  that  he 
desired  an  interview. 

They  found  him  walking  up  and  down  the 
room.  And  he  looked  so  ludicrous  in  his 
strange  costume  that  they  could  scarcely  sup 
press  their  mirth.  "With  pensive  air  and 
stooped  shoulders,  he  walked  like  an  automa 
ton  from  the  window  to  the  door  and  from 
the  door  to  the  window,  taking  each  time  the 


VERSUS     HERLOCK     SHOLMES  325 

same  number  of  steps,  and  turning  each  time 
in  the  same  manner. 

He  stopped,  picked  up  a  small  ornament, 
examined  it  mechanically,  and  resumed  his 
walk.  At  last,  planting  himself  before  them, 
he  asked: 

"Is  Mademoiselle  here?" 

"Yes,  she  is  in  the  garden  with  the  chil 
dren.  ' ' 

"I  wish  Mademoiselle  to  be  present  at  this 
interview. ' ' 

"Is  it  necessary 

"Have  a  little  patience,  monsieur.  From 
the  facts  I  am  going  to  present  to  you,  you 
will  see  the  necessity  for  her  presence  here." 

' '  Very  well.    Suzanne,  will  you  call  her  1 ' ' 

Madame  d'Imblevalle  arose,  went  out,  and 
returned  almost  immediately,  accompanied  by 
Alice  Demun.  Mademoiselle,  who  was  a  trifle 
paler  than  usual,  remained  standing,  leaning 
against  a  table,  and  without  even  asking  why 
she  had  been  called.  Sholmes  did  not  look 
at  her,  but,  suddenly  turning  toward  Mon 
sieur  d'Imblevalle,  he  said,  in  a  tone  which 
did  not  admit  of  a  reply : 

"After  several  days'  investigation,  mon 
sieur,  I  must  repeat  what  I  told  you  when  I 


326  ARSENE     LUPIN 

first  came  here :  the  Jewish  lamp  was  stolen 
by  some  one  living  in  the  house." 

"The  name  of  the  guilty  party?" 

"I  know  it." 

"Your  proof?" 

"I  have  sufficient  to  establish  that  fact." 

"But  we  require  more  than  that.  We  de 
sire  the  restoration  of  the  stolen  goods." 

"The  Jewish  lamp?  It  is  in  my  posses 
sion." 

1  '  The  opal  necklace  I    The  snuff-box  ?  > ' 

"The  opal  necklace,  the  snuff-box,  and  all 
the  goods  stolen  on  the  second  occasion  are 
in  my  possession." 

Sholmes  delighted  in  these  dramatic  dia 
logues,  and  it  pleased  him  to  announce  his 
victories  in  that  curt  manner.  The  baron  and 
his  wife  were  amazed,  and  looked  at  Sholmes 
with  a  silent  curiosity,  which  was  the  highest 
praise. 

He  related  to  them,  very  minutely,  what  he 
had  done  during  those  three  days.  He  told 
of  his  discovery  of  the  alphabet  book,  wrote 
upon  a  sheet  of  paper  the  sentence  formed  by 
the  missing  letters,  then  related  the  journey 
of  Bresson  to  the  bank  of  the  river  and  the 
suicide  of  the  adventurer,  and,  finally,  his 
struggle  with  Lupin,  the  shipwreck,  and  the 


VERSUS     HERLOCK     SHOLMES  327 

disappearance  of  Lupin.  When  he  had  fin 
ished,  the  baron  said,  in  a  low  voice : 

"Now,  you  have  told  us  everything  except 
the  name  of  the  guilty  party.  Whom  do  you 
accuse!  " 

"I  accuse  the  person  who  cut  the  letters 
from  the  alphabet  book,  and  communicated 
with  Arsene  Lupin  by  means  of  those  let 
ters." 

"How  do  you  know  that  such  correspond 
ence  was  carried  on  with  Arsene  Lupin  ? ' ' 

"My  information  comes  from  Lupin  him 
self." 

He  produced  a  piece  of  paper  that  was  wet 
and  crumpled.  It  was  the  page  which  Lupin 
had  torn  from  his  memorandum-book,  and 
upon  which  he  had  written  the  phrase. 

"And  you  will  notice,"  said  Sholmes,  with 
satisfaction,  "that  he  was  not  obliged  to  give 
me  that  sheet  of  paper,  and,  in  that  way, 
disclose  his  identity.  Simple  childishness  on 
his  part,  and  yet  it  gave  me  exactly  the  infor 
mation  I  desired." 

' «  What  was  it  1 "  asked  the  baron.  "  I  don 't 
understand." 

Sholrnes  took  a  pencil  and  made  a  fresh 
copy  of  the  letters  and  figures. 

<  '  CDEHNOPRZEO— 237. ' ' 


328  ARSENE    LUPIN 

6  i  Well  ? ' '  said  the  baron ;  "  it  is  the  formula 
you  showed  me  yourself. ' ' 

"No.  If  you  had  turned  and  returned  that 
formula  in  every  way,  as  I  have  done,  you 
would  have  seen  at  first  glance  that  this  for 
mula  is  not  like  the  first  one." 

"In  what  respect  do  they  differ?" 

'  i  This  one  has  two  more  letters — an  E  and 
anO." 

"Really;  I  hadn't  noticed  that." 

"Join  those  two  letters  to  the  C  and  the 
H  which  remained  after  forming  the  word 
'respondez/  and  you  will  agree  with  me  that 
the  only  possible  word  is  ECHO." 

"What  does  that  mean!" 

"It  refers  to  the  Echo  de  France,  Lupin's 
newspaper,  his  official  organ,  the  one  in  which 
he  publishes  his  communications.  Reply  in 
the  Echo  de  France,  in  the  personal  advertise 
ments,  under  number  237.  That  is  the  key 
to  the  mystery,  and  Arsene  Lupin  was  kind 
enough  to  furnish  it  to  me.  I  went  to  the 
newspaper  office." 

' '  What  did  you  find  there  f ' ' 

"I  found  the  entire  story  of  the  relations 
between  Arsene  Lupin  and  his  accomplice. ' ' 

Sholmes  produced  seven  newspapers  which 


VERSUS     ITERLOCK     SHOLMES  329 

he  opened  at  the  fourth  page  and  pointed  to 
the  following  lines : 

1.  Ars.   Lup.   Lady   implores   protection. 
540. 

2.  540.  Awaiting  particulars.  A.  L. 

3.  A.  L.  Under  dornin.  enemy.  Lost. 

4.  540.  Write  address.  Will  make  investi 
gation. 

5.  A.  L.  Murillo. 

6.  540.  Park  three  o'clock.  Violets. 

7.  237.    Understand.    Sat.    Will  be  Sun. 
morn.  park. 

"And  you  call  that  the  whole  story!"  ex 
claimed  the  baron. 

"Yes,  and  if  you  will  listen  to  me  for  a  few 
minutes,  I  think  I  can  convince  you.  In  the 
first  place,  a  lady  who  signs  herself  540  im 
plores  the  protection  of  Arsene  Lupin,  who 
replies  by  asking  for  particulars.  The  lady 
replies  that  she  is  under  the  domination  of  an 
enemy — who  is  Bresson,  no  doubt — and  that 
she  is  lost  if  some  one  does  not  come  to  her 
assistance.  Lupin  is  suspicious  and  does  not 
yet  venture  to  appoint  an  interview  with  the 
unknown  woman,  demands  the  address  and 
proposes  to  make  an  investigation.  The  lady 
hesitates  for  four  days — look  at  the  dates — 
finally,  under  stress  of  circumstances  and  in- 


330  ARSENE    LUPIN 

fluenced  by  Bresson's  threats,  she  gives  the 
name  of  the  street — Murillo.  Next  day,  Ar- 
sene  Lupin  announces  that  he  will  be  in  the 
Park  Monceau  at  three  o'clock,  and  asks  his 
unknown  correspondent  to  wear  a  bouquet  of 
violets  as  a  means  of  identification.  Then 
there  is  a  lapse  of  eight  days  in  the  corre 
spondence.  Arsene  Lupin  and  the  lady  do 
not  require  to  correspond  through  the  news 
paper  now,  as  they  see  each  other  or  write 
directly.  The  scheme  is  arranged  in  this 
way:  in  order  to  satisfy  Bresson's  demands, 
the  lady  is  to  carry  off  the  Jewish  lamp.  The 
date  is  not  yet  fixed.  The  lady  who,  as  a  mat 
ter  of  prudence,  corresponds  by  means  of  let 
ters  cut  out  of  a  book,  decides  on  Saturday 
and  adds :  Reply  Echo  237.  Lupin  replies  that 
it  is  understood  and  that  he  will  be  in  the  park 
on  Sunday  morning.  Sunday  morning,  the 
theft  takes  place." 

"Beally,  that  is  an  excellent  chain  of  cir 
cumstantial  evidence  and  every  link  is  com 
plete,"  said  the  baron. 

"The  theft  has  taken  place,"  continued 
Sholmes.  "The  lady  goes  out  on  Sunday 
morning,  tells  Lupin  what  she  has  done,  and 
carries  the  Jewish  lamp  to  Bresson.  Every 
thing  occurs  then  exactly  as  Lupin  had  fore- 


VERSUS     IIERLOCK     SHOLMES  331 

seen.  The  officers  of  the  law,  deceived  by  an 
open  window,  four  holes  in  the  ground  and 
two  scratches  on  the  balcony  railing,  immedi 
ately  advance  the  theory  that  the  theft  was 
committed  by  a  burglar.  The  lady  is  safe." 

"Yes,  I  confess  the  theory  was  a  logical 
one,"  said  the  baron.  "But  the  second 
theft " 

"The  second  theft  was  provoked  by  the 
first.  The  newspapers  having  related  how 
the  Jewish  lamp  had  disappeared,  some  one 
conceived  the  idea  of  repeating  the  crime  and 
carrying  away  what  had  been  left.  This  time, 
it  was  not  a  simulated  theft,  but  a  real  one,  a 
genuine  burglary,  with  ladders  and  other 
paraphernalia— 

"Lupin,  of  course— 

"No.  Lupin  does  not  act  so  stupidly.  He 
doesn't  fire  at  people  for  trifling  reasons." 

"Then,  who  was  it?" 

"Bresson,  no  doubt,  and  unknown  to  the 
lady  whom  he  had  menaced.  It  was  Bresson 
who  entered  here ;  it  was  Bresson  that  I  pur 
sued;  it  was  Bresson  who  wounded  poor 
Wilson." 

t  i  Are  you  sure  of  it  ?  " 

"Absolutely.  One  of  Bresson's  accomplices 
wrote  to  him  yesterday,  before  his  suicide,  a 


ARSENE     LUPIN 

letter  which  proves  that  negotiations  were 
pending  between  this  accomplice  and  Lupin 
for  the  restitution  of  all  the  articles  stolen 
from  your  house.  Lupin  demanded  every 
thing,  'the  first  thing  (that  is,  the  Jewish 
lamp)  as  well  as  those  of  the  second  affair.' 
Moreover,  he  was  watching  Bresson.  When 
the  latter  returned  from  the  river  last  night, 
one  of  Lupin's  men  followed  him  as  well 


as  we.r 


"What  was  Bresson  doing  at  the  river?" 
"Having  been  warned  of  the  progress  of 
my  investigations — 
"Warned!  by  whom*" 
"By  the  same  lady,  who  justly  feared  that 
the  discovery  of  the  Jewish  lamp  would  lead 
to  the  discovery  of  her  own  adventure.  There 
upon,  Bresson,  having  been  warned,  made 
into  a  package  all  the  things  that  could  com 
promise  him  and  threw  them  into  a  place 
where  he  thought  he  could  get  them  again 
when  the  danger  was  past.    It  was  after  his 
return,  tracked  by  Ganimard  and  myself,  hav 
ing,  no  doubt,  other  sins  on  his  conscience, 
that  he  lost  his  head  and  killed  himself." 
"But  what  did  the  package  contain ?" 
"The  Jewish  lamp  and  your  other  orna 
ments." 


VERSUS    HERLOCK     SHOLMES  333 

"Then,  they  are  not  in  your  possession?'7 
"Immediately  after  Lupin's  disappear 
ance,  I  profited  by  the  bath  he  had  forced 
upon  me,  went  to  the  spot  selected  by  Bres 
son,  where  I  found  the  stolen  articles  wrapped 
in  some  soiled  linen.  They  are  there,  on  the 
table." 

Without  a  word,  the  baron  cut  the  cord, 
tore  open  the  wet  linen,  picked  out  the  lamp, 
turned  a  screw  in  the  foot,  then  divided  the 
bowl  of  the  lamp  which  opened  in  two  equal 
parts  and  there  he  found  the  golden  chimera, 
set  with  rubies  and  emeralds. 

It  was  intact. 

***** 

There  was  in  that  scene,  so  natural  in  ap 
pearance  and  which  consisted  of  a  simple 
exposition  of  facts,  something  which  rendered 
it  frightfully  tragic— it  was  the  formal,  di 
rect,  irrefutable  accusation  that  Sholmes 
launched  in  each  of  his  words  against  Mad 
emoiselle.  And  it  was  also  the  impressive 
silence  of  Alice  Demun. 

During  that  long,  cruel  accumulation  of  ac 
cusing  circumstances  heaped  one  upon  an 
other,  not  a  muscle  of  her  face  had  moved, 
not  a  trace  of  revolt  or  fear  had  marred  the 
serenity  of  her  limpid  eyes.  What  were  her 


334  AKSENE     LUPIN" 

thoughts.  And,  especially,  what  was  she 
going  to  say  at  the  solemn  moment  when  it 
would  become  necessary  for  her  to  speak  and 
defend  herself  in  order  to  break  the  chain  of 
evidence  that  Herlock  Sholmes  had  so  clev 
erly  woven  around  her  ! 

That  moment  had  come,  but  the  girl  was 
silent. 

' '  Speak !  Speak ! '  >  cried  Mon.  d  'Imblevalle. 

She  did  not  speak.    So  he  insisted : 

"One  word  will  clear  you.  One  word  of 
denial,  and  I  will  believe  you." 

That  word,  she  would  not  utter. 

The  baron  paced  to  and  fro  in  his  excite 
ment  ;  then,  addressing  Sholmes,  he  said : 

"No,  monsieur,  I  cannot  believe  it,  I  do  not 
believe  it.  There  are  impossible  crimes !  and 
this  is  opposed  to  all  I  know  and  to  all  that  I 
have  seen  during  the  past  year.  No,  I  cannot 
believe  it." 

He  placed  his  hand  on  the  Englishman's 
shoulder,  and  said : 

' i  But  you  yourself,  monsieur,  are  you  abso 
lutely  certain  that  you  are  right  ? ' ' 

Sholmes  hesitated,  like  a  man  on  whom  a 
sudden  demand  is  made  and  cannot  frame  an 
immediate  reply.  Then  he  smiled,  and  said : 

' '  Only  the  person  whom  I  accuse,  by  reason 


VERSUS     HERLOCK     SHOLMES  335 

of  her  situation  in  your  house,  could  know 
that  the  Jewish  lamp  contained  that  magnifi 
cent  jewel." 

' '  I  cannot  believe  it, ' '  repeated  the  baron. 

"Ask  her." 

It  was,  really,  the  very  thing  he  would  not 
have  done,  blinded  by  the  confidence  the  girl 
had  inspired  in  him.  But  he  could  no  longer 
refrain  from  doing  it.  He  approached  her 
and,  looking  into  her  eyes,  said : 

"Was  it  you,  mademoiselle?  Was  it  you 
who  took  the  jewel?  Was  it  you  who  corre 
sponded  with  Arsene  Lupin  and  committed 
the  theft?" 

4  i  It  was  I,  monsieur, ' '  she  replied. 

She  did  not  drop  her  head.  Her  face  dis 
played  no  sign  of  shame  or  fear. 

"Is  it  possible?"  murmured  Mon.  d'lmble- 
valle.  ' '  I  would  never  have  believed  it.  ... 
You  are  the  last  person  in  the  world  that  I 
would  have  suspected.  How  did  you  do  it?" 

"I  did  it  exactly  as  Monsieur  Sholmes  has 
told  it.  On  Saturday  night  I  came  to  the 
boudoir,  took  the  lamp,  and,  in  the  morning  I 
carried  it  .  .  .  to  that  man." 

"No,"  said  the  baron;  "what  you  pretend 
to  have  done  is  impossible." 

'  '  Impossible — why  ? ' ' 


336  ARSENE    LUPIN 

"Because,  in  the  morning  I  found  the  door 
of  the  boudoir  bolted. ' ' 

She  blushed,  and  looked  at  Sholmes  as  if 
seeking  his  counsel.  Sholmes  was  astonished 
at  her  embarrassment.  Had  she  nothing  to 
say?  Did  the  confessions,  which  had  corrobo 
rated  the  report  that  he,  Sholmes,  had  made 
concerning  the  theft  of  the  Jewish  lamp, 
merely  serve  to  mask  a  lie?  Was  she  mis 
leading  them  by  a  false  confession? 

The  baron  continued : 

"That  door  was  locked.  I  found  the  door 
exactly  as  I  had  left  it  the  night  before.  If 
you  entered  by  that  door,  as  you  pretend, 
some  one  must  have  opened  it  from  the  inte 
rior — that  is  to  say,  from  the  boudoir  or  from 
our  chamber.  Now,  there  was  no  one  inside 
these  two  rooms  .  .  .  there  was  no  one  ex 
cept  my  wife  and  myself. ' ' 

Sholmes  bowed  his  head  and  covered  his 
face  with  his  hands  in  order  to  conceal  his 
emotion.  A  sudden  light  had  entered  his 
mind,  that  startled  him  and  made  him  exceed 
ingly  uncomfortable.  Everything  was  re 
vealed  to  him,  like  the  sudden  lifting  of  a  fog 
from  the  morning  landscape.  He  was  an 
noyed  as  well  as  ashamed,  because  his  deduc- 


VERSUS     HERLOCK     SHOLMES  337 

tions  were  fallacious  and  his  entire  theory 
was  wrong. 

Alice  Demun  was  innocent ! 

Alice  Demun  was  innocent.  That  proposi 
tion  explained  the  embarrassment  he  had 
experienced  from  the  beginning  in  directing 
the  terrible  accusation  against  that  young 
girl.  Now,  he  saw  the  truth;  he  knew  it. 
After  a  few  seconds,  he  raised  his  head,  and 
looked  at  Madame  d'Imblevalle  as  naturally 
as  he  could.  She  was  pale — with  that  unusual 
pallor  which  invades  us  in  the  relentless  mo 
ments  of  our  lives.  Her  hands,  which  she  en 
deavored  to  conceal,  were  trembling  as  if 
stricken  with  palsy. 

"One  minute  more,"  thought  Sholmes, 
"and  she  will  betray  herself." 

He  placed  himself  between  her  and  her 
husband  in  the  desire  to  avert  the  awful  dan 
ger  which,  through  his  faulty  now  threatened 
that  man  and  woman.  But,  at  sight  of  the 
baron,  he  was  shocked  to  the  very  centre  of 
his  soul.  The  same  dreadful  idea  had  entered 
the  mind  of  Monsieur  d'Imblevalle.  The  same 
thought  was  at  work  in  the  brain  of  the  hus 
band.  He  understood,  also!  He  saw  the 
truth! 


ARSENE     LUPIN 

In  desperation,  Alice  Demun  hurled  herself 
against  the  implacable  truth,  saying : 

"You  are  right,  monsieur.  I  made  a  mis 
take.  I  did  not  enter  by  this  door.  I  came 
through  the  garden  and  the  vestibule  .  .  . 
by  aid  of  a  ladder " 

It  was  a  supreme  effort  of  true  devotion. 
But  a  useless  effort!  The  words  rang  false. 
The  voice  did  not  carry  conviction,  and  the 
poor  girl  no  longer  displayed  those  clear, 
fearless  eyes  and  that  natural  air  of  inno 
cence  which  had  served  her  so  well.  Now, 
she  bowed  her  head — vanquished. 

The  silence  became  painful.  Madame  d'lm- 
blevalle  was  waiting  for  her  husband's  next 
move,  overwhelmed  with  anxiety  and  fear. 
The  baron  appeared  to  be  struggling  against 
the  dreadful  suspicion,  as  if  he  would  not 
submit  to  the  overthrow  of  his  happiness. 
Finally,  he  said  to  his  wife : 

"Speak!  Explain !" 

"I  have  nothing  to  tell  you/'  she  replied, 
in  a  very  low  voice,  and  with  features  drawn 
by  anguish. 

"So,  then    .    .    .    Mademoiselle    .    .    ." 

"Mademoiselle  saved  me  .  .  .  through 
devotion  .  .  .  through  affection  .  .  .  and 
accused  herself.  . ' ' 


VERSUS    HERLOCK     SHOLMES  339 

' '  Saved  you  from  what  I    From  whom  ? ' ' 

4 '  From  that  man. " 

"Bresson?" 

"Yes;  it  was  I  whom  he  held  in  fear  by 
threats.  .  .  .  I  met  him  at  one  of  my  friends' 
....  and  I  was  foolish  enough  to  listen  to 
him.  Oh !  there  was  nothing  that  you  cannot 
pardon.  But  I  wrote  him  two  letters  .  ,  . 
letters  which  you  will  see.  ...  I  had  to  buy 
them  back  .  .  .  you  know  how.  ...  Oh! 
have  pity  on  me!  ...  I  have  suffered  so 
much!" 

"You!  You!  Suzanne  !" 

He  raised  his  clenched  fists,  ready  to  strike 
her,  ready  to  kill  her.  But  he  dropped  his 
arms,  and  murmured : 

"You,  Suzanne  .  .  .  You!  .  .  .  Is  it  pos 
sible?" 

By  short  detached  sentences,  she  related 
the  heartrending  story,  her  dreadful  awaken 
ing  to  the  infamy  of  the  man,  her  remorse, 
her  fear,  and  she  also  told  of  Alice's  devo 
tion  ;  how  the  young  girl  divined  the  sorrow 
of  her  mistress,  wormed  a  confession  out  of 
her,  wrote  to  Lupin,  and  devised  the  scheme 
of  the  theft  in  order  to  save  her  from  Bresson. 

"You,  Suzanne,  you,"  repeated  Monsieur 
d'Imblevalle,  bowed  with  grief  and  shame. 


ABSENE     LUPIN 


.  .  .  "  How  could  you?" 

***** 

On  the  same  evening,  the  steamer  '  i  City  of 
London,"  which  plies  between  Calais  and 
Dover,  was  gliding  slowly  over  the  smooth 
sea.  The  night  was  dark;  the  wind  was 
fainter  than  a  zephyr.  The  majority  of  the 
passengers  had  retired  to  their  cabins;  but 
a  few,  more  intrepid,  were  promenading  on 
the  deck  or  sleeping  in  large  rocking-chairs, 
wrapped  in  their  travelling-rugs.  One  could 
see,  here  and  there,  the  light  of  a  cigar,  and 
one  could  hear,  mingled  with  the  soft  murmur 
of  the  breeze,  the  faint  sound  of  voices  which 
were  carefully  subdued  to  harmonize  with  the 
deep  silence  of  the  night. 

One  of  the  passengers,  who  had  been  pacing 
to  and  fro  upon  the  deck,  stopped  before  a 
woman  who  was  lying  on  a  bench,  scrutinized 
her,  and,  when  she  moved  a  little,  he  said  : 

"I  thought  you  were  asleep,  Mademoiselle 
Alice." 

"No,  Monsieur  Sholmes,  I  am  not  sleepy. 
I  was  thinking.  '  ' 

"Of  what?  If  1  may  be  so  bold  as  to 
inquire  ?  '  ' 

"I  was  thinking  of  Madame  d'lmblevalle. 


VERSUS     HERLOCK     SHOLMES  341 

She  must  be  very  unhappy.  Her  life  is 
ruined. ' ' 

"Oh!  no,  no,"  he  replied  quickly.  "Her 
mistake  was  not  a  serious  one.  Monsieur 
d'Imblevalle  will  forgive  and  forget  it.  Why, 
even  before  we  left,  his  manner  toward  her 
had  softened." 

"Perhaps  .  .  .  but  he  will  remember  it  for 
a  long  time  .  .  .  and  she  will  suffer  a  great 
deal." 

"You  love  her?" 

"Very  much.  It  was  my  love  for  her  that 
gave  me  strength  to  smile  when  I  was  trem 
bling  from  fear,  that  gave  me  courage  to  look 
in  your  face  when  I  desired  to  hide  from  your 
sight." 

"And  you  are  sorry  to  leave  her?" 

"Yes,  very  sorry.  I  have  no  relatives,  no 
friends — but  her." 

"You  will  have  friends,"  said  the  English 
man,  who  was  affected  by  her  sorrow.  "I 
have  promised  that.  I  have  relatives  .  *  - 
and  some  influence.  I  assure  you  that  you 
will  have  no  cause  to  regret  coming  to  Eng 
land." 

' '  That  may  be,  monsieur,  but  Madame  d'lm- 
blevalle  will  not  be  there." 

Herlock  Sholmes  resumed  his  promenade 


342  ARSENE    LUPIN 

upon  the  deck.  After  a  few  minutes,  he  took 
a  seat  near  his  travelling  companion,  filled  his 
pipe,  and  struck  four  matches  in  a  vain  effort 
to  light  it.  Then,  as  he  had  no  more  matches, 
he  arose  and  said  to  a  gentleman  who  was 
sitting  near  him : 

"May  I  trouble  you  for  a  match? " 

The  gentleman  opened  a  box  of  matches 
and  struck  one.  The  flame  lighted  up  his 
face.  Sholmes  recognized  him — it  was  Ar- 
sene  Lupin. 

If  the  Englishman  had  not  given  an  almost 
imperceptible  movement  of  surprise,  Lupin 
would  have  supposed  that  his  presence  on 
board  had  been  known  to  Sholmes,  so  well 
did  he  control  his  feelings  and  so  natural  was 
the  easy  manner  in  which  he  extended  his 
hand  to  his  adversary. 

"How's  the  good  health,  Monsieur  Lupin?" 

"Bravo!"  exclaimed  Lupin,  who  could  not 
repress  a  cry  of  admiration  at  the  English 
man's  sang-froid. 

' '  Bravo  1  and  why  ? ' ' 

"Why?  Because  I  appear  before  you  like 
a  ghost,  only  a  few  hours  after  you  saw  me 
drowned  in  the  Seine;  and  through  pride 
— a  quality  that  is  essentially  English — you 
evince  not  the  slightest  surprise.  You  greet 


VERSUS     HERLOCK     SHOLMES  343 

nie  as  a  matter  of  course.  Ah!  I  repeat: 
Bravo!  Admirable!" 

"  There  is  nothing  remarkable  about  it. 
From  the  manner  in  which  you  fell  from  the 
boat,  I  knew  very  well  that  you  fell  volun 
tarily,  and  that  the  bullet  had  not  touched 
you." 

44  And  you  went  away  without  knowing 
what  had  become  of  me?" 

"What  had  become  of  you?  Why,  I  knew 
that.  There  were  at  least  five  hundred  people 
on  the  two  banks  of  the  river  within  a  space 
of  half-a-mile.  If  you  escaped  death,  your 
capture  was  certain." 

i '  And  yet  I  am  here. ' ' 

*  *  Monsieur  Lupin,  there  are  two  men  in  the 
world  at  whom  I  am  never  astonished :  in  the 
first  place,  myself — and  then,  Arsene  Lupin." 

The  treaty  of  peace  was  concluded. 

If  Sholmes  had  not  been  successful  in  his 
contests  with  Arsene  Lupin;  if  Lupin  re 
mained  the  only  enemy  whose  capture  he 
must  never  hope  to  accomplish;  if,  in  the 
course  of  their  struggles,  he  had  not  always 
displayed  a  superiority,  the  Englishman  had, 
none  the  less,  by  means  of  his  extraordinary 
intuition  and  tenacity,  succeeded  in  recover 
ing  the  Jewish  lamp  as  well  as  the  blue  dia- 


344  ARSENE     LUPIN 

mond.  This  time,  perhaps,  the  finish  had  not 
been  so  brilliant,  especially  from  the  stand 
point  of  the  public  spectators,  since  Sholmes 
was  obliged  to  maintain  a  discreet  silence  in 
regard  to  the  circumstances  in  which  the  Jew 
ish  lamp  had  been  recovered,  and  to  announce 
that  he  did  not  know  the  name  of  the  thief. 
But  as  man  to  man,  Arsene  Lupin  against 
Herlock  Sholmes,  detective  against  burglar, 
there  was  neither  victor  nor  vanquished. 
Each  of  them  had  won  corresponding  vic 
tories. 

Therefore  they  could  now  converse  as  cour 
teous  adversaries  who  had  lain  down  their 
arms  and  held  each  other  in  high  regard. 

At  Sholmes'  request,  Arsene  Lupin  related 
the  strange  story  of  his  escape. 

"If  I  may  dignify  it  by  calling  it  an  es 
cape,"  he  said.  "It  was  so  simple!  My 
friends  were  watching  for  me,  as  I  had  asked 
them  to  meet  me  there  to  recover  the  Jewish 
lamp.  So,  after  remaining  a  good  half -hour 
under  the  overturned  boat,  I  took  advantage 
of  an  occasion  when  Folenfant  and  his  men 
were  searching  for  my  dead  body  along  the 
bank  of  the  river,  to  climb  on  top  of  the  boat. 
Then  my  friends  simply  picked  me  up  as 
they  passed  by  in  their  motor-boat,  and  we 


VERSUS     HERLOCK     SHOLMES  345 

sailed  away  under  the  staring  eyes  of  an 
astonished  multitude,  including  Ganimard 
and  Folenfant." 

"Very  good,"  exclaimed  Sholmes,  "very 
neatly  played.  And  now  you  have  some  busi 
ness  in  England  1" 

"Yes,  some  accounts  to  square  up.  ... 
But  I  forgot  .  .  .  what  about  Monsieur 
d'Imblevalle!" 

"He  knows  everything. " 

"All!  my  dear  Sholmes,  what  did  I  tell 
you?  The  wrong  is  now  irreparable.  Would 
it  not  have  been  better  to  have  allowed  me  to 
carry  out  the  affair  in  my  own  way?  In  a 
day  or  two  more,  I  should  have  recovered  the 
stolen  goods  from  Bresson,  restored  them  to 
Monsieur  d'Imblevalle,  and  those  two  honest 
citizens  would  have  lived  together  in  peace 
and  happiness  ever  after.  Instead  of  that— 

"Instead  of  that,"  said  Sholmes,  sneering- 
ly,  "I  have  mixed  the  cards  and  sown  the 
seeds  of  discord  in  the  bosom  of  a  family  that 
was  under  your  protection." 

"Mon  Dieu!  of  course,  I  was  protecting 
them.  Must  a  person  steal,  cheat  and  wrong 
all  the  time?" 

"Then  you  do  good,  also?" 

"When  I  have  the  time.    Besides,  I  find  it 


346  ARSBNE     LUPIN 

amusing.  Now,  for  instance,  in  our  last  ad 
venture,  I  found  it  extremely  diverting  that  I 
should  be  the  good  genius  seeking  to  help  and 
save  unfortunate  mortals,  while  you  were  the 
evil  genius  who  dispensed  only  despair  and 
tears. ' ' 

* '  Tears !  Tears ! ' '  protested  Sholmes. 

* '  Certainly !  The  d  'Imblevalle  household  is 
demolished,  and  Alice  Demun  weeps/' 

"She  could  not  remain  any  longer.  Gani- 
niard  would  have  discovered  her  some  day, 
and,  through  her,  reached  Madame  d'lmble- 
valle." 

"Quite  right,  monsieur;  but  whose  fault 
is  it?" 

Two  men  passed  by.  Sholmes  said  to 
Lupin,  in  a  friendly  tone : 

"Do  you  know  those  gentlemen?" 

"I  thought  I  recognized  one  of  them  as  the 
captain  of  the  steamer. ? ' 

"And  the  other?" 

"I  don't  know." 

"It  is  Austin  Gilett,  who  occupies  in  Lon 
don  a  position  similar  to  that  of  Monsieur 
Dudouis  in  Paris." 

"  Ah !  how  fortunate !  Will  you  be  so  kind 
as  to  introduce  me?  Monsieur  Dudouis  is 
one  of  my  best  friends,  and  I  shall  be  de- 


VEBSUS    HERLOCK     SHOLMES 

lighted  to  say  as  much  of  Monsieur  Austin 
Gilett" 

The  two  gentlemen  passed  again. 

"And  if  I  should  take  you  at  your  word, 
Monsieur  Lupin?"  said  Sholmes,  rising,  and 
seizing  Lupin's  wrist  with  a  hand  of  iron. 

"Why  do  you  grasp  me  so  tightly,  mon 
sieur  f  I  am  quite  willing  to  follow  you. ' ' 

In  fact,  he  allowed  himself  to  be  dragged 
along  without  the  least  resistance.  The  two 
gentlemen  were  disappearing  from  sight. 
Sholmes  quickened  his  pace.  His  finger-nails 
even  sank  into  Lupin's  flesh. 

"Come!  Come!"  he  exclaimed,  with  a  sort 
of  feverish  haste,  in  harmony  with  his  action. 
'  *  Come !  quicker  than  that.  * ' 

But  he  stopped  suddenly.  Alice  Demun 
was  following  them. 

4  *  What  are  you  doing,  Mademoiselle  ?  You 
need  not  come.  You  must  not  come ! ' ' 

It  was  Lupin  who  replied : 

"You  will  notice,  monsieur,  that  she  is  not 
coming  of  her  own  free  will.  I  am  holding 
her  wrist  in  the  same  tight  grasp  that  you 
have  on  mine." 

"Why?" 

"Because  I  wish  to  present  her  also.  Her 
part  in  the  affair  of  the  Jewish  lamp  is  much 


348  ARSENE    LUPIN 

more  important  than  mine.  Accomplice  of 
Arsene  Lupin,  accomplice  of  Bresson,  she  has 
a  right  to  tell  her  adventure  with  the  Baron 
ess  d'lmblevalle — which  will  deeply  interest 
Monsieur  Gilett  as  an  officer  of  the  law.  And 
by  introducing  her  also,  you  will  have  carried 
your  gracious  intervention  to  the  very  limit, 
my  dear  Sholmes." 

The  Englishman  released  his  hold  on  his 
prisoner's  wrist.  Lupin  liberated  Madem 
oiselle. 

They  stood  looking  at  each  other  for  a 
few  seconds,  silently  and  motionless.  Then 
Sholmes  returned  to  the  bench  and  sat  down, 
followed  by  Lupin  and  the  girl. 

After  a  long  silence,  Lupin  said : 

"  You  see,  monsieur,  whatever  we  may  do, 
we  will  never  be  on  the  same  side.  You  are 
on  one  side  of  the  fence ;  I  am  on  the  other. 
We  can  exchange  greetings,  shake  hands,  con 
verse  a  moment,  but  the  fence  is  always  there. 
You  will  remain  Herlock  Sholmes,  detective, 
and  I,  Arsene  Lupin,  gentleman-burglar.  And 
Herlock  Sholmes  will  ever  obey,  more  or  less 
spontaneously,  with  more  or  less  propriety, 
his  instinct  as  a  detective,  which  is  to  pursue 
the  burglar  and  run  him  down,  if  possible. 
And  Arsene  Lupin,  in  obedience  to  his  bur- 


VERSUS     HERLOCK     SHOLMES  349 

glarious  instinct,  will  always  be  occupied  in 
avoiding  the  reach  of  the  detective,  and  mak 
ing  sport  of  the  detective,  if  he  can  do  it. 
And,  this  time,  he  can  do  it.  Ha-ha-ha ! ' ' 

He  burst  into  a  loud  laugh,  cunning,  cruel 
and  odious.- 

Then,  suddenly  becoming  serious,  he  ad 
dressed  Alice  Demun : 

"You  may  be  sure,  mademoiselle,  even 
when  reduced  to  the  last  extremity,  I  shall 
not  betray  you.  Arsene  Lupin  never  betrays 
anyone — especially  those  whom  he  loves  and 
admires.  And,  may  I  be  permitted  to  say,  I 
love  and  admire  the  brave,  dear  woman  you 
have  proved  yourself  to  be." 

He  took  from  his  pocket  a  visiting  card, 
tore  it  in  two,  gave  one-half  of  it  to  the  girl, 
as  he  said,  in  a  voice  shaken  with  emotion: 

"If  Monsieur  Sholmes'  plans  for  you  do 
not  succeed,  mademoiselle,  go  to  Lady  Strong- 
borough — you  can  easily  find  her  address— 
and  give  her  that  half  of  the  card,  and,  at 
the  same  time,  say  to  her:  Faithful  friend. 
Lady  Strongborough  will  show  you  the  true 
devotion  of  a  sister." 

"Thank  you,"  said  the  girl;  "I  shall  see 
her  to-morrow." 

"And  now,  Monsieur  Sholmes,"  exclaimed 


350  ARSENE    LUPIN 

Lupin,  with  the  satisfied  air  of  a  gentleman 
who  has  fulfilled  his  duty,  "I  will  say  good 
night.  We  will  not  land  for  an  hour  yet,  so  I 
will  get  that  much  rest. ' ' 

He  lay  down  on  the  bench,  with  his  hands 
beneath  his  head. 

In  a  short  time  the  high  cliffs  of  the  Eng 
lish  coast  loomed  up  in  the  increasing  light  of 
a  new-born  day.  The  passengers  emerged 
from  the  cabins  and  crowded  the  deck,  eager 
ly  gazing  on  the  approaching  shore.  Austin 
Gilette  passed  by,  accompanied  by  two  men 
whom  Sholmes  recognized  as  sleuths  from 
Scotland  Yard. 

Lupin  was  asleep,  on  his  bench. 

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